History

Highlights of May First History

Early 1990’s: People Link and LaNeta, both alternative Internet Service Providers based respectively in New York and Mexico City, start by providing dial up access to the Internet and eventually web hosting.

1999: Media Jumpstart, later adopting the name May First Technology Collective, begins providing technology consulting services to non-profits in New York City.

2005: People Link and May First Technology Collective merge, adopting Media Jumpstart as our legal name and the new operating name of May First/People Link. May First/People Link operates as a membership organization that provides hosting services as a benefit.

2007: May First/People Link directors appoint a Leadership Committee, drawn from the membership, to advise on the direction of the organization.

2007 - 2010:

  • May First/People Link leads the technology team for both the 2007 and 2010 US Social Forums and organizes extensively in World Social Forums around the globe.
  • May First/People Link experiences significant growth as movement technologists seek the ability to send mass email and easily setup and run interactive web sites using tools like Drupal

2011:

  • May First/People Link organizes our first annual membership meeting and elects our first democratically chosen Leadership Committee
  • Upon request, May First/People Link takes over the hosting services of the Mexican organization LaNeta, changing our organizational culture and politics with 20% of our members now being based in Mexico.

2015:

  • An independent cooperative, Primero de Mayo/Enlace Popular, legally incorporates in Mexico City to provide a legal framework for Mexican members to pay their dues.
  • May First/People Link members formally approve the organization’s mission, structure and values, and commitment to combatting racism and sexism, affirming the integrated nature of technology and movement building.
  • May First/People Link experiences our most significant Denial of Service Attack as we publicly stand up in defense of our member, the National Network of Abortion Funds. The attack lasts several weeks and is finally put down after we invest heavily in new filtering defenses.

2017: May First/People Links launches the Technology and Revolution campaign to explore the relationship between technology and movement building for systemic change.

2019: May First/People Link changes our public name to May First Movement Technology and the membership approves new by-laws that legally require members to vote for the Board of Directors. The informal Leadership Committee is dis-banded as the formally elected Board takes over. May First is now a functional cooperative.

2020 - 2024:

  • May First thoroughly rebuilds our technology infrastructure to meet new demands and ensure stable, state-of-the-art technology services for our members.
  • The Technology, Infrastructure and Services team (TIAS) and the Engagement and Communications team formally launch, providing pathways for members to become involved in May First.