Social networking is the Internet phenomenon of the 21st century, allowing global communities to develop and communicate on the web. As most scientists are self-confessed natural networkers, many have grasped the opportunity to network on the web with both hands. JEB Editor Julian Dow says that he uses Facebook to stay in touch with friends from his postdoc, undergrad and even school days. He adds, ‘I've found more of my friends and colleagues on Facebook than on any other social networking sites.’ With opportunities for communities to interact virtually through the internet, it seemed like the ideal time for the JEB to join the likes of Nature, ScienceNOW and Royal Society Publishing and set up our own Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Journal-of-Experimental-Biology/110771005628146) for the integrative biology community.
At present, the JEB's Facebook page keeps you updated with journal content, international press coverage of the journal and interesting meetings that you might like to attend. Anyone can look at the page by going to the Facebook URL, but only Facebook page holders that are ‘fans’ (click the ‘like’ button) of the JEB can post information on the JEB's wall, make comments and tell us when you ‘like’ a posting. So, if you don't have your own Facebook page and would like to begin interacting with the JEB's Facebook page, simply go to http://www.facebook.com/ and sign up.
This is the first social networking site specifically for comparative physiologists and integrative biologists. Ultimately, we hope that it will develop into a community page, where you come to post interesting information for the rest of the community and browse to catch up with the latest news and friends. So don't miss out, sign up today with Facebook and start talking online with the rest of the community at the JEB Facebook page.