"People have always made their own songs"

Exactly, Jim. And continue to do so, largely well away from the confines and strictures of the folk world. Because, let's face it, when these songs were written, none of them were folks songs - that was a status given to them later, by someone else. Once upon a time, they were just songs. As far as I'm concerned, they still are: what else could they be? It's great that people have taken the time and trouble to save them from obscurity (though we can only guess at what arbitrary selction processes were at play to give us the actual body of work we've ended up with). But it's also great that I can buy densely annotated compilations of obscure small town garage rock bands from the mid-sixties USA. Both spring from the same impulse.

"When I look at the piece of stale cheese which is all I've got, I'm looking at a nice plateful of tripes à la mode de Caen or roast turkey. But that won't make 'em so."

Nice analogy Michael. And it neatly supports my contention that behind categorisation as an objective excercise, is an agenda about quality and worth - otherwise your stale bread would become, I dunno, a wizened apple. Which takes us back to how this all comes served up with a whacking great dollop of subjectivity.