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When translating a page, add said page to watchlist
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Description

When I edit https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tech/News/2020/27/nl using the translate extension, add https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tech/News/2020/27 to my watchlist so I could notice changes that may require updating the translation.

Note: watchlist preferences should of course be respected. Only add Tech/News/2020/27 if Tech/News/2020/27/nl is being added.

Event Timeline

AlexisJazz changed the subtype of this task from "Task" to "Feature Request".Jul 12 2020, 2:18 PM

I don’t think putting it on the watchlist unconditionally is a good idea (people should be in control whether they want to add pages to their watchlists), but following the preferences—both when creating a new page by translation (Add pages I create) and when editing an existing translation (Add pages and files I edit)—would make sense indeed.

I don’t think putting it on the watchlist unconditionally is a good idea (people should be in control whether they want to add pages to their watchlists), but following the preferences—both when creating a new page by translation (Add pages I create) and when editing an existing translation (Add pages and files I edit)—would make sense indeed.

Yes, watchlist preferences should be respected. I added a note.

To keep it simple, perhaps just one option "Add pages I translate to my watchlist"? And I guess it should default to off?

To keep it simple, perhaps just one option "Add pages I translate to my watchlist"?

Yes!

And I guess it should default to off?

If you also make it so that removing Tech/News/2020/27/nl from the watchlist also results in the removal of Tech/News/2020/27 (so removal and addition follow the same rule from user perspective), I'd argue it would be acceptable to enable it by default. Otherwise it's probably better to default to off. (status quo)

Oh, I didn’t notice that you want to add the translation original when you start translating (because when one starts translating using Tux, not even the translation page is added to their watchlist, only the individual translation units, but then that is/should be another task). Maybe this should be clarified in the preference name/description as well.

I think automatic removal is way not obvious (especially for people who have been around for a while now) and quite dangerous as one may lose track of a page without noticing this. For example, as a translation administrator, I often edit translations in languages I don’t (or barely) speak. I might watch them for a while for whatever reason, then decide to unwatch them, while keeping other languages (like Hungarian) on my watchlist. If the system removes the original when I unwatch the, say, French translation, but I keep watching the Hungarian one, it got out of sync even though the intention was keeping it in sync.

Oh, I didn’t notice that you want to add the translation original when you start translating (because when one starts translating using Tux, not even the translation page is added to their watchlist, only the individual translation units, but then that is/should be another task). Maybe this should be clarified in the preference name/description as well.

I think automatic removal is way not obvious (especially for people who have been around for a while now) and quite dangerous as one may lose track of a page without noticing this. For example, as a translation administrator, I often edit translations in languages I don’t (or barely) speak. I might watch them for a while for whatever reason, then decide to unwatch them, while keeping other languages (like Hungarian) on my watchlist. If the system removes the original when I unwatch the, say, French translation, but I keep watching the Hungarian one, it got out of sync even though the intention was keeping it in sync.

You're right, in that case it's better to stick to default off and don't try automatic removal.

We are planning to work on a similar feature applicable to all types of message groups: T348500: Allow translators to watch message groups

Please note that T348500 is not the same as this just with a broader scope – while its description isn’t specific, I assume that would notify when the page is marked for translation, while what this task proposes would notify as soon the page is edited, giving the subscriber a chance to do copy edits before the page is marked for translation, but alerting them at a time they can’t start translating yet and also about vandalism and other changes that get reverted before the page is marked for translation. The two solutions have slightly different target audiences (that one aims at people who only translate, this one at people who may also want to participate in editing the original page), so it may make sense to implement both.