all traditional music was once new

Uh-oh! Now you've done it! You've called down the wrath of the folk purists on your head! Didn't you know that all folk music oozed up out of the ground? No wait, it dropped down from the sky with the rain. Yeah, that's the ticket. At any rate it isn't written. It just happens. We're kind of vague on the details of how, that's all. But we know it's communal, that's for sure. No one person could write a song and have it pass into the folk stream. That just doesn't happen. Nope. Never. Unh-uh.

But all silliness aside, welcome aboard, and I heartily agree with you on all your points!

Alex