: when a song/tune is called 'Traditional'was written by someone years ago and they've died,
: so what is 'Traditional'?

Two answers, both of which you've been given already in this thread:

1. it's traditional if it's in the style of some specific tradition (blues, Highland pipe lament, whatever)

2. it's traditional if it's actually been passed down orally.

I'm more interested in the first aspect, as that is what determines whather I'll want to listen to it and whether I can play along with it, and if so on what instrument. In Scottish instrumental traditional music, nobody makes a genre distinction between music with recent known composers and ancient stuff from way back. There are differences in style, but I sometimes put a tune from 400 years ago in the same medley as one written this millennium.

: and what is Folk Music anyway, music by the people for the people that's what Folk music
: is well according to me anyway, so songs by Cole Poter, Johnny Cash, Aerosmith can be
: considered as 'Folk Music'

Cole Porter and Aerosmith are BY the people? No matter how popular they may have been at one time, that was never true.

I'm interested in knowing what the music on offer (on a website, on a CD, at a concert, at a session) IS. There is some of Johnny Cash I find okay, and I have actually played along with that song about killing a man in Memphis once. Aerosmith I have no idea about, I couldn't name or identify any ot their songs, but if they're sorta-heavy-metal I might have *some* interest (it can be fun playing the flute with that stuff, and it's quite easy for a folk instrumentalist to pick up as its tonality is similar to that of Western European traditional music). Cole Porter just makes me want to puke; music for Readers Digest subscribers and geriatric queens.

: if a song is sung in a folk music envorment then it is folk music

What's that supposed to mean? Is something a "folk music environment" just because people use the word?

: but then the purists will say that's not right, but as I ask what is Folk Music?

What's the point of asking if you don't want any answer?

And WHY don't you want an answer? What's so threatening about trying to describe what we play and listen to?