If they use these new fangled pencils to write down the words, it isn't folk. It must be a quill or it fails the 1854 interpretation.

Any idea how silly the debate is? Meanwhile, most people (and especially I'm glad to say an increasing young set of performers and audience) know what they mean when you say folk. To Jim Carroll it's something to do with Walter Pardon. To many in The USA it's something to do with Joan Baez. To many in The UK it's whatever you listened to in folk clubs over the years.

But it's folk all to to with one opinion over any other.

By the way, when you reach the impossible consensus on what folk is, the thread asks you consider it against pop music. What does that mean? (I'll check back in ten years.)