The rule of two feet
A guide for BarCamp Philly volunteers: what the rule means, where it came from, and what to say when someone asks about it.
Every unconference runs on one law. If you’re in a session where you aren’t learning anything and aren’t contributing anything, use your two feet and go somewhere you will. That could be another room or the atrium. No apology needed.
Attendees will ask you about it all day. Some are first-timers who feel guilty walking out of a room. A few are presenters who just watched half their audience leave. Your job is to make the rule feel normal for both.
“Your time here is yours. If a session isn’t working for you, walk to one that does. Presenters expect it, so nobody takes it personally. And if you’d rather talk in the hallway for an hour, that counts too.”
Where it comes from
The rule started with Harrison Owen, an organizational consultant who created Open Space Technology in the mid-1980s. He noticed people at his conferences got more out of the coffee breaks than the formal sessions, so he built a format that worked more like the coffee break. He called the rule the Law of Two Feet. Some facilitators call it the Law of Mobility, which is a better fit for anyone who gets around on wheels, a cane or anything else. Unconferences picked it up, BarCamps included.
Owen also named the two kinds of people the rule produces. Bumblebees hop from session to session and carry ideas between rooms. Butterflies drift out of sessions entirely and end up in side conversations, which is often where the best connections of the day happen. Both are doing BarCamp right.
What it means in practice
People can leave a session at any point and join one already underway. Arriving late is fine. So is spending a whole time slot in the atrium. The rule is about choice, so feel free to share it however fits the person in front of you: “feet,” “wheels” or just “move along.”
It also works in both directions. A packed room with people standing in the back is a good moment to point at the board and mention that something else is starting next door.
If someone asks how to leave without being rude, here’s the short answer. Sit near the door if you think you’ll roam. Wait for a natural break, like the end of a point or a slide change, then go. Use the back door if there is one, and take your coffee cup with you.
Moments you’ll probably see
A first-timer asks whether it’s rude to leave
This is the most common question, and the answer is a quick, cheerful no. Plenty of people need to hear it from someone wearing a badge before they believe it.
“Totally fine. It’s the one rule here. Presenters know it going in, so go find the room that fits.”
A presenter is rattled after people walked out
Most walk-outs have nothing to do with the talk. People leave to catch a friend’s session, check the board or grab food. Sessions run in 60-minute blocks, and the presenter guide plans for that turnover. A smaller room often turns into a better conversation.
“That happens in every room, all day. People move for all kinds of reasons. The folks who stayed are the ones who really want to hear it.”
A presenter asks the room to stay put
Usually this comes from nerves. A quiet word afterward works better than correcting someone mid-session.
“Just a heads-up: the rule of two feet means people can come and go. It actually helps, because everyone left in the room chose to be there.”
Someone leaves because something felt wrong
The rule of two feet is about interest. If a person walked out because of how someone treated them, or because they felt unsafe, that’s a SafeSpaces matter. Follow the SafeSpaces Policy and the response guide on the Volunteer Hub, and bring in an admin. Reports go to info@barcampphilly.org, and the lead responder’s contact is on the back of your badge.
“Thanks for telling me. Let’s find an admin so this gets handled properly.”
The atrium is full of people not in any session
That’s the butterflies at work. Hallway conversations are part of the event, so there’s nothing to fix. If someone looks lost rather than happily chatting, point them to the session board.
Where the rule stops
The rule covers attendees choosing how to spend their own day. Volunteer shifts work a little differently: before you step away from a post, find another volunteer or an admin to cover it. On a break, though, the rule is all yours.
It also sits alongside the Guidelines and the SafeSpaces Policy. It gives people freedom to move, and the usual expectations for how people treat each other still apply wherever they go.
Related pages
Next time someone hovers in a doorway, unsure whether they’re allowed to go, you’ll know exactly what to tell them.
Questions about volunteering at #bcp17? Email info@barcampphilly.org.