By David Topping

You may have noticed that Torontoist looks a little different. The tech staff of our parent site, Gothamist, have been busy rolling out new features to sites across their network of sites, including here at Torontoist. We have two new big things to show you that we’re pretty excited about: Contribute, and Favourites. And it’s all about you, the Torontoist reader: more power, more of a say, and improved interactivity.

The first new page is Torontoist Labs: Contribute. This is what you can do there:

• Share Links: Using popular bookmarking website del.icio.us, you can tell other Torontoist readers about news stories, websites and other wonderful stuff on the internet that you think they might find interesting, entertaining or useful. All you have to do is tag a link with for:torontoist and it will automatically appear on our Contribute page. For information on how to get started, visit del.icio.us.
• Share Photos: Everyone loves Flickr, right? Now, when you join our Flickr group and upload a shot to the group’s pool, it will automatically appear on this page.
• Share an Anonymous Tip: Cops outside your house? Movie shoot nearby? Just saw something absolutely crazy? Let Torontoist readers know!

The second new page is called Torontoist Labs: Favorites. This one’s pretty straightforward, but cool nonetheless:

• Most Recommended: The left column on this page ranks recent Torontoist posts by the number of “recommendations” they have received. A post receives recommendations whenever you click on the “Recommend this!” link at the bottom of an individual post. Simple as that.
• Most Commented: In this column, recent Torontoist posts will be ranked by the number of comments they have received. Now, you’ll never miss out on a thoughtful discussion, heated debate, or crazy, one-sided rant quickly dismissed by other posters.

All of these Torontoist Labs features can be found nicely condensed on the left column of every page on the site, as well.

Enjoy! And let us know what you think. Little (and big) changes are happening all the time on Torontoist, so keep your eyes open.