Not Tropeworthy: Fridge Logic

Bringing this over from this ATT.

Here on this wiki, we have Headscratchers and we have Fridge Logic.

Headscratchers are questions about a work that have confused Tropers—why did a character do this instead of this? How were they able to do that? Isn't this impossible?

Fridge Logic is, according to the Laconic, "Belated realization of something in a work that wasn't an issue before." Examples being: how did this person get all the way across the world in such a short amount of time? If ET can make the bicycle fly, why didn't he use it at the beginning of the film to avoid pursuit?

The concern that myself and other Tropers have is that Headscratchers and Fridge Logic virtually work the same way on the wiki, but they're not supposed to.

Things like Fridge Brilliance and Fridge Horror are treated similarly to Moments pages (Heartwarming, Funny, etc.) Tropers can add their own two cents on entries, like other reasons for why something is brilliant, or related details. However, Fridge Logic entries do not work as such. 99% of the time, Fridge Logic subbullets do not add more reasons for why something is confusing, but rather possible answers from other Tropers.

On Headscratcher pages, Tropers also ask confused questions about a work's plot, setting, characters' logic, etc., and other Tropers offer possible answers. However, this is how Headscratchers is supposed to work. It seems pointless to have two tropes that generally encompass the same thing and work the same way.

The two distinctions between Fridge Logic and Headscratchers seem to be that 1) Fridge Logic is not a "question" that seeks an answer, while Headscratchers do, and 2) Fridge Logic is a delayed realization.

We've discussed that there are problems with these distinctions.

1) "A question that does not seek an answer" is a criteria that seems ripe for misunderstandings and misuse. Many existing Fridge Logic entries do have answers, and the original posters simply missed them. One Troper may consider something a plot hole, while another Troper considers it easily answerable. On top of that, many, many Fridge Logic questions could just be dismissed with a simple, "Well, it's not impossible, so it doesn't count."

2) Whether a realization is delayed or not seems irrelevant. Whether you come up with a question while you're watching or show or later as you're reaching into your fridge, the question is still the same.

It would be possible to simply get rid of the pseudo-thread form of the Fridge pages—that is, if a Troper adds a Fridge Logic entry, Tropers aren't to add sub-bullets offering answers. However, this "solution" would likely just lead to a great deal of edit-warring and disagreements for the reasons listed under "1." A Troper could make a Fridge Logic entry, only for another Troper to delete it because they believe there is an answer. And there could very well be, but the result will probably still be a lot of Fridge Logic entries getting deleted right off the bat.

It seems that it might be best to simply leave it at Headscratchers and let Fridge Logic go.

Well, you missed the most important distinction: Headscratchers is a questions and answers forum and not just for Fridge Logic, Fridge Logic merely catalogues instances of it. Also, we need more than an ATT thread to justify a big change to a trope with over 11000 wicks. So declining.