"You can translate it in minutes!"

The time it takes to make a translation can vary a lot depending on the length of the article, how much the initial machine translation has to be edited, and whether the user is aiming for a complete translation or just a starting point (to be improved in further edit sessions). The idea to convey is that it is possible to make a meaningful contribution in a "short, unspecified amount of time". Of course people can dedicate more time and make a longer/better initial contribution, but if you have 15-30min available it is possible to make a small but valuable contribution by translating a short article or expand an existing one with a short section. I hope this context is helpful to convey this message in the way that best suits your language.

Pginer (talk)09:23, 31 January 2023

Thanks for clarifying. It looks like there are two main things to say in it. 1) We invite you to translate it. 2) It [the translation] won't take a long time. For me, breaking it down like that would make it easier to translate. Would a similar rephrasing make the English message awkward?

In any case, I'll probably avoid mentioning "minutes" in my translation because it will make it unnecessarily concrete in any phrasing I can think of in Japanese.

whym09:18, 1 February 2023

You are right on the information points to deliver. However, we try to make the message short and positive. For example, "It won't be long and boring" seems less encouraging than "It would be fast and fun". Translation removes many of the barriers required to make a great contribution (you don't need to master all policies, just to write the same thing you are reading in another language you know). So I think it is appropriate to provide a bit of encouragement in this case.

Pginer (talk)15:25, 1 February 2023

I see, thanks. I don't have much to add to this discussion any more, but I want to make sure it can be referenced when someone has a similar doubt. Should I link Thread:Support/"You_can_translate_it_in_minutes!" from MediaWiki:Cx-uls-relevant-languages-panel-message/qqq?

whym05:22, 5 February 2023