Howdy Shambles. Can't agree with you more about lumping groups of performers together with one choice word. (even if the word tickles my funnybone, like "omphaloscopist") I'm sure Ms. Goldberg (or whoever coined the word) counts many songwriters among her friends, as I do. (and I make my own songs as well) However, 3 hours at one of our prime open stage venues here in Toronto, might just send the most tolerant folk fan racing off into the night searching for someone who can play a guitar without "plugging in" and can sing about something other than the current problems with their love life. The nick-names probably come when someone has become inundated with a certain style and shouts their new word to the heavens. Not to worry though, being called "celtoid" has not resulted in thousands of guitarists retuning from DADGAD to regular tuning. The ugly sobriquet "Folk Nazi" hasn't sent ultra traditionalists running to buy Lonnie Donegan records, and the slightly snarky "white blue singer" tag, never stopped me from trying to play like Tampa Red or Big Bill. I have two framed rejection notices on my desk at the moment. One from a festival saying in effect: Thanks, but you're too "commercial" for us, and the other, also from a festival implying "you're not commercial enough!!" Oi Vay! Got to laugh!