" I don't think we are going to find many more Frank Proffit's singing songs previously unknown on a mountain cabin porch. That isn't to say that the "flowing stream" won't go on. That doesn't mean that new folk singers won't find new ways to interpret the music. That doesn't mean that new songwriters won't write in the style. It just means that the era of 'TRADITIONAL' Folk Music is over. "

I don't think it is necessarily "over", it has just evolved.   The songs that collectors were gathering from people like Frank Proffit may have been unkown outside of Proffit's home and perhaps community. The Warners collected Tom Dooley in 1938 - a song about a man who was hung in 1868. That song was written at some point in the 70 year gap. IF the technology existed, we would probably have a clearer picture on the origin of that song as well as others that we now consider "traditinal".

My point is that just collectors gathered songs and variations - using the tools that they had available - usually memories of people who sang the song. In 2006, the mode of transportation for songs are decidedly different. You could not make an audio recording of "Tom Dooley" in 1868 and the song was transmitted orally.   If someone were to write a song about Tom Dooley today, we would probably have a recording, a website to refer to, sheet music, and copyrights for the writer.    The "tradition" has evolved, it is not dead.