Definately not!, whilst there may only be a few undiscovered gems lurking in someones distant memory, as long as there are songwriters producing songs 'in the tradition' then the tradition itself continues. Folk song is a living process and as long as there is a respect for the original, then I see no problem with changing lyrics or adding verses to breath new life into traditional songs. I have done so myself with the version of 'Star of the County Down' I perform, and continue to write songs that I try to give a traditional feel to, often drawing on folk tales and historical events. an example can be found here, http://www.myspace.com/thebountyhounds 'Eyes of Flame' is a song I wrote to tell the tale of Black Shuck, which anyone from East Anglia will be familiar with. I hope with this, I am in my own small way, keeping the tradition alive.