Seems clear there are two discussions within all this-- what to post and what to sing. What to post is either "what my research has found" (unedited) or "what I sing" (possibly edited).

I think it is clear that documenting what we find and how we modify it is important. When we sing something for people, we are entering our version and style into the folk process. It seems, to me, that it's only right to give appropriate credit and information regarding our sources. I can't decide that for anyone else-- what I CAN do is be clear in my OWN work, posted or performed, about what I am doing and why. It's a decision we all have to deal with, both as purveyors of songs in posts or in performance, and as listeners and learners. I think that past that, whatever I post is up to users and DT harvestors to evaluate.

What I think is really EXCELLENT about the attempt to define what's right is that it is a sign people are still THINKING. We don't have to be right, right now-- we can be somewhere along a path of increasing understanding. As long as we keep THINKING, I think we are fulfilling the most important responsiblity inherent in difficult decisions.

~Susan