Code of Conduct

General Conduct Regulations:

Hey there. This is Luke, RiichiOut founder. If you are reading this, you care enough about the mahjong community or someone in the mahjong community to be, well, here reading this.

After a number of recent happenings, I feel the need to speak out. (this is August 2020, for you far-future mahjong space people researching the history of your galactic rise)

So, let me get some things straight.

"In the 21st century, the number of mahjong players around the world is in the hundreds of millions", and just about every single one is awesome and amazing. (yeah i quoted Saki right off the bat, strap in, this is going to be a ride)

However, a few of those hundreds of millions.. aren't awesome. This is to them, so everyone knows where I - and RO - stands.

RiichiOut, and its in-person and online events and hangouts and such, exists to be a friendly and accepting place for every mahjong player that is looking for somewhere to relax and have fun. Yes we massacre each other at the tables (eat kokushi, Mike), but that's where it stays. If you are going to be a part of this party, whether you are some random player or a huge mahjong organization or a multi-national corporation, I got one rule, online or face-to-face:

Don't Be a Jerk.

Let me tell you what that means.

We do not condone - and yes, a number of these overlap, because jerks are very rarely jerks in only one way:
- Racism or supremacy of any sort, be it based on color, religion, nation or creed
- Inappropriate Sexualization of anyone: women, children, men, cisgendered, non-binary, anyone, for any reason
- Piracy: manga or anime or book or intellectual property or otherwise
- Bullying
- Stalking
- Non-consensual photography/videography/whatevergraphy
- Shaming: Be it Body, Religion, Gender, Dress, Mahjong Skill or Knowledge, Ruleset choice, client choice, or anything else
- Illegal / Underage drug or alcohol use
- Abuse: physical, psychological, person, animal anything
- Doxxing
- Fraud
- and/or any other Harassment or non-consensual coercion of any kind

Because RO doesn't condone these things, I reserve the right to set rules necessary to stop Jerkiness from harshing the groove of everyone here trying to have a good time, and I intend to do so as proactively as I am able to. Apart from the ones listed above, ones specific to certain methods of play are below.

If those rules don't do the trick? I don't care if you are a friend, a family member, a co-worker, a business partner, a company, whatever. Even if you are an RO Club, a big tourmanent, a company that hired us to run your thing, an organization that wants us to promote for them, or the Grand Poobah of Mahjong themselves, if you are a Jerk, we are going to have a talk before you can continue whatever crap you are shoveling, and if you don't get with the program..

..there's the door.

Everyone else? Let's have some fun.

(even people who use head bump, and i hate head bump so freaking much)
-Luke

Location-, Client-Specific Conduct Regulations:

In-person: no offensive odors, maintain acceptable hygiene level, clean and dry hands for touching tiles, keep noise to an acceptable level
Tenhou: Staff available to help players through any Japanese-only menus, selections, and UI
Mahjong Soul: No swimsuit / "Beach Party" outfits