In Google's Backyard, Hackers Face Eviction
Hacker Dojo is filled with people expert in computer code, but building codes are another matter. A liberal interpretation of Mountain View’s permitting rules by its members could get the shared collaboration space shut down.
Built inside 13,000 square feet of abandoned warehouse space in the city home to Google, Hacker Dojo is given over to offices, events space, and social areas cobbled together helter skelter by the tinkerers — computer and otherwise — who pay Dojo membership dues. As far as the city is concerned, the Dojo is an office complex, which means it needs the fire exits, sprinklers, and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms that it currently lacks, Mountain View officials told the New York Times in an article published Thursday.
In response, Dojo organizers are frantically raising money to bring the space, which has never received a formal city permit, up to code. The Times coverage helped drive $12,000 in fresh donations so far today, to a total of $185,000 out of the $250,000 needed, says Katy Levinson, a robotics engineer and the Dojo’s development director.
