'The purpose of a definition is to enable the precise identification of something. To achieve this it needs to be as objective as possible.'

A well thought out post Guest.ST, You set out clearly the purpose and need for a definition, but it still leaves us with the same problem. What do we call the songs that you say 'that I would like to be folk songs because I like them or because the audience applauds them when I sing them in a "folk club",?

If we are going to avoid the sort of confusion that many have talked about in this discussion, then we have the same need to define those songs in a concise way that people will understand, and can, as Punkfolkrocker says, distinguish them from other types of song.

I'm happy to group it all together as folk, with trad, songs in a trad style and other contemporary folk. When performing, I would always differentiate between traditional and new, but what do I tell the casual enquirer when they ask what sort of music I play? (I of course use the 'F' word) It appears from your post that you perform a mix yourself, so how would you answer that question when talking to someone who did not know what you do?

John