Beginning today, statesman.com and austin360.com roll out some changes that we think readers will enjoy. Our web sites, sporting a slightly different look, have a new engine under the hood  that will make for a better user experience. In developing the new content management system that powers our sites, we’ve listened to readers and have addressed some key areas of the online experience. Some of the upgrades include:

• Faster page loading; no waiting for ads to load before you see the content that you want.
• Greatly improved site search, something our readers requested.
• The return of reader comments to our stories. You’ll also be able to comment on photos and videos. We will now require readers to register with us in order to comment on stories, a move that we hope will encourage civil dialogue. 
• The ability to register on our sites using your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
• The ability to more easily follow your favorite writers’ work through reporter pages.
• Faster sharing of photos and videos across more social platforms.

As the changes are rolled out, you might encounter some broken links or other site misbehavior that we’d appreciate knowing about. You might find that you need to re-bookmark items, for instance. For those bug reports and any other feedback you’d like to send our way on the changes, please email us here.