By now you’ve probably noticed there have been some major changes at the Southwest Observer. We’ve been listening to our users since we launched more than a year and a half ago, and now we’ve given you what you wanted: faster speeds, easier navigation and customized pages tailored to your interests.

Add to that intensely local coverage of Mount Greenwood, Beverly and Morgan Park ranging from breaking news and local politics to some of the best entertainment in the city, a comprehensive calendar of events and regular coverage of neighborhood schools.

We’ve also added a host of new features:

• It’s easier than ever to add photos, video and audio clips directly to the Southwest Observer. We have built a program into the site that allows registered users to share events such as your child’s birthday party or last week’s block party with the rest of the neighborhood. We moderate the feature to ensure that only appropriate content is posted.
• We all like a little reward every now and then for our time. That’s why registered users now earn points for every post. So the more you contribute, the more points you’ll earn. And there are so many ways to contribute: Post to your blog, post a forum discussion, add an event, upload a photo. You’ll also be awarded points for inviting friends to register as well. At midnight Dec. 31, the top contributor will be chosen to win an iPod. Not a bad reason to keep in touch with the rest of the neighborhood
• In August the Southwest Observer became the first neighborhood news site in the nation to broadcast live video through an all-new streaming feature called Observer:Live. Join us as often as you like for live, on-location video streams of breaking news, sporting events, entertainment and everything else that makes our neighborhoods the best in the city.
• Think you know your neighborhood? So do we, so let’s get it on. We’ve launched another feature called iWitnessed. Each week we zoom in on a different local landmark and challenge you to guess what it is. At the end of the week we reveal the full photo along with a couple tidbits. It’s just another way to sharpen your knowledge of our community.
• Can’t get that old coffee table sold on Craig’s List? Could be that most Craig’s List users live up north or out in the western suburbs. So think local, and post a quick mention in our free classifieds. If you want it sold, log on and get going.

We are excited to offer these new features, and more are on the horizon. The Southwest Observer has more registered users than ever, and we provide more local content than any other Web site.

So check out the new Southwest Observer and let us know what you think. After all, we’re always listening.