May First/People Link

May First/People Link (MF/PL) is a non-profit membership organization that uses mutual aid to provide Internet services, such as web hosting to progressive organizations and individuals. Founded in 1995 and based in New York City, MF/PL is one of the Internet's oldest progressive organizations. A member of Association for Progressive Communications, MF/PL directors, leaders, and members agree upon principles of progressive use of technology, outlined by a Statement of Unity.[1]

May First/People Link
AbbreviationMF/PL
Typenon-profit, membership
Location
  • New York City
Membership
500+ membership organizations
Websitemayfirst.org

From the MF/PL website:

...an organization that redefines the concept of "Internet Service Provider" in a collective, progressive and collaborative way. The members of May First/People Link are like a coop: we pay dues, buy equipment and then we all use that equipment as we need to for websites, email, email lists, and just about everything else we do on the Internet...

History

May First/People Link, Local 1180 CWA AFL-CIO members, was formed from the merge between two progressive providers in 2005. People Link began providing organizations with hosting in 1995. May First Technology Collective supported progressive organizations' technology needs in 1999. MF/PL's history as one of the world's oldest and largest politically progressive Information and communication technologies (ICTs) began in support of alternative media during the years leading up to the anti-globalization movement.

Leadership

The current co-directors of May First/People Link are Alfredo Lopez and Jamie McClelland. Founding members and other members of MF/PL leadership are represented by organizations including The Praxis Project, NACLA, Progressive Technology Project, and The Brecht Forum.

Membership

Notable MF/PL members include The Yes Men, Independent Media Centers, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, and Left Turn magazine. Over 500 members represent organizations such as food cooperatives, indigenous networks, grassroots organizations, unions, and schools.

Projects

MF/PL organized collaborative technology for the 2009 World Social Forum in Belem, Brazil. For the United States Social Forum, MF/PL was included in the leadership of technology organizing for Atlanta, Georgia in 2007 and National Planning Committee members for the Information, Communications, and Technology working group leading up to Detroit, Michigan's event in 2010.

Protecting fair use and free speech online[2][3] against the DMCA together with the Electronic Frontier Foundation[4] is essential for its hundreds of members' rights to organize online.

Collaborative Democracy software was written for a workshop at the USSF in 2007 on the topic of Internet Bill of Rights.[5] It has engaged many hundreds of people from all over the world to participate interactively and simultaneously on topics such as economic rights, technology principles, and participatory governance. It was performed simultaneously in Guatemala City and New York City during the Social Forum of the Americas in 2008, and in four countries, between youth, in Guatemala, Quebec, New York, and Brazil for the 2009 WSF.

MF/PL is a community member of Drupal website development[6] and fully supports the use of Free and Open Source Software.

Publications
  • 2007: The Organic Internet: Organizing History's Largest Social Movement[7]

See also

References
  1. "Statement of Unity". May First/People Link. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  2. Delaney, Arthur (October 23, 2009). "Chamber Of Commerce Strong-Arms Service Provider Into Shutting Down Spoof Site". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  3. "U.S. Chamber of Commerce v. Yes Men". Citizen Media Law Project. January 6, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  4. "Political Parodists Strike Back Against U.S. Chamber of Commerce". Electronic Frontier Foundation. January 6, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  5. "Introduction to Collaborative Democracy". May First/People Link. Archived from the original on August 21, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  6. Moynihan, Colin (March 1, 2009). "Software System's Fans Gather to Talk Code". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  7. "The Organic Internet: Now Available for Free Download and Purchase!". May First/People Link. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
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