It has been made more than clear on this thread, many times over, that "folk", "folk song" and "folk singer" mean different things to different people or in different contexts. We can accept that situation or resent it but we can't change it.

GUEST 03 Oct 14 - 04:41 PM said "Rory McLeod apparently thinks he's a folk singer. By your definition he isn't. Equally he isn't navel gazing and would probably share your dismissal of such stuff." That supports the view that the term has such a range of meanings that it has ceased to be useful.

Some contributors have harped on, reiterating their assertions that folk is so-and-so. Some have sought to support their assertions by insulting those who disagree. That doesn't work: it is a classic case of "when rational argument fails, resort to invective" and it only weakens their case.

Others have written good sense, even if not always entirely agreeing with each other. Among recent posts, I particularly like the one from Howard Jones 03 Oct 14 - 04:27 AM.