utter gibberish and totally at odds with anything I have experienced either on the folk scene, among traditional singers or in anything I've read - a typical case of make-it-up-as-you-go-along-to suit-your-own-particular-circumstances. (Lack of) reasoning like that makes communication between people totally impossible.

Nice one, Jim. What I'm saying is that whilst we might be clear on how we define a Traditional Song, any definition of Folk Song has to be more inclusive to reflect the realities of what actually happens in the name of Folk. I'd say Jim Eldon is a perfect example of this, taking Pop Songs and shaping them to his particular idiom. Here he is singing his reworking of a Pop Song by Jim Holt, made famous by Blondie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ovw1-Zjsw

In no way Traditional, but most certainly Folk, even by the somewhat vague standards of the 1954 definition, which, as I've shown above is utterly meaningless in outlining how so-called Folk Song is different from any other.

Now, please, if you will, and without resorting to personal insults, kindly explain your objections.