2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Mc Mill an ▁announced ▁that ▁The ▁Man ual ▁would ▁be ▁going ▁on ▁an ▁" in defin ite ▁hi atus ." ▁ ▁X O X O ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Mc Mill an ▁and ▁co - organ izer ▁Andy ▁Ba io ▁launched ▁X O X O ▁Festival , ▁a ▁four - day ▁conference ▁and ▁festival ▁about ▁independently ▁produced ▁art ▁and ▁technology ▁in ▁Port land , ▁Oregon , ▁described ▁as ▁" people ▁using ▁the ▁Internet ▁and ▁technology ▁to ▁by pass ▁the ▁established , ▁big ▁business ▁ways ▁of ▁doing ▁things ▁and ▁purs ue ▁their ▁cre ative ▁pass ions ." ▁T ick ets ▁were ▁pres old ▁through ▁a ▁K ick st arter ▁project ▁to ▁" g au ge ▁the ▁appeal ▁of ▁such ▁an ▁event ▁and ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁money ▁needed ▁to ▁pull ▁it ▁off ." ▁The ▁project ▁raised ▁$ 1 7 5 , 0 0 0 , ▁s elling ▁all ▁ 4 0 0 ▁tick ets ▁in ▁ 5 0 ▁hours . ▁ ▁H eld ▁ann ually ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁X O X O ▁is ▁held ▁in ▁September ▁and ▁has ▁grown ▁to ▁over ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁at ten de es , ▁using ▁a ▁lot tery ▁system ▁to ▁" ret ain ▁its ▁int im acy ." ▁ ▁Rec ently , ▁X O X O ▁shift ed ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁difficulties ▁of ▁working ▁independently . ▁Bo ing ▁Bo ing ▁said ▁a ▁" dark er