After nearly getting swallowed by Microsoft and becoming a poster child for fading internet giants, Yahoo is finally asking for help from an unusual place -- hackers.

According to an Associated Press report, Yahoo opened its doors to approximately 300 hackers over the weekend for a marathon coding and brainstorming session aimed at jumpstarting innovation at the struggling company.

The decision to let hackers into the heart of Yahoo is part of a larger strategy predicated on openness. Late last week, Yahoo announced that it would begin rolling out changes to its homepage that would make it the focal point for the next iteration of the web by integrating content and applications from non-Yahoo sites.

"Jerry [Yang] and I are dedicated to keeping that spirit of openness and innovation alive, but we know that we can't come up with all the great ideas ourselves," Yahoo co-founder David Filo wrote in a "Hack Day" message. "Hackers, bring it on."