Hacker Dojo
Hacker Dojo is a 6,000 sqft community center and hackerspace that is based in Mountain View, California. Predominantly an open working space for software projects, the Dojo hosts technology classes for biology, computer hardware, and manufacturing events.
The Story
The Dojo is run mostly democratically by its membership. The Dojo is primarily financed through membership dues ($150/mo), but has accepted 3rd party sponsorships from Microsoft, Google, Isocket, Twilio, AMS Dataserfs, and Palantir Technologies.
Physical space
Hacker Dojo was originally located at 140 South Whisman Road in Mountain View, California. The facility grew over time to occupy multiple adjacent units, expanding in October 2009 and again in October 2011. However, zoning violations led the City of Mountain View to restrict use of the expanded space. The Dojo later relocated and since 2022 has operated from 855 Maude Avenue in Mountain View, an approximately 6,000-square-foot space open 24 hours a day.
Controversies
In summer 2013, Hacker Dojo members experienced repeated internet outages traced to an amplified distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. A former member was identified by the FBI as responsible and subsequently faced criminal charges. The incident underscored the challenges of running an open community space, where membership is broad and trust is essential.
From the Air
Located at 37.396N, 122.049W in the San Francisco Peninsula / Silicon Valley area. Nearest airports: KPAO (Palo Alto), KSJC (San Jose International), KNUQ (Moffett Field).