Keep the Duck Alive ("the pond", "we", "us") is a Project Null experiment, built and operated by Cristian Carreno, an individual based in Paraguay. It's a public leaderboard wrapped in a virtual pond: people pay to hold a listing on the board, and every payment also adds CARE, a game mechanic that keeps a flock of virtual ducks alive for a limited window of time. The pond and its ducks are virtual · no real animal is involved. By using the site or paying, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the site.

Every payment, of any size and for any reason (Memorial or Tribute, Celebration, Pond Keeper, Just Because, or Random Act of Kindness), creates a listing: a public entry on the Leaderboard, on both the current generation's board and the all-time board (Legado). A listing shows the amount paid, the name you chose (or "a stranger" if you left it blank), the reason, and a unique listing code. A Pond Keeper listing also shows your business link, plus the favicon and short description we read from that link. Your listing goes live when payment is confirmed, and it stays part of the pond's public history.

A listing's position is set only by the total paid under the same identity (the link for a Pond Keeper, the name for everyone else; listings with no name stay separate). Someone else can always pay more and outrank you, and no rank, placement, or duration at any position is guaranteed.

Every payment also counts as CARE, which extends the virtual flock's remaining time according to the rules shown on the site. That is a game mechanic, not a service to anyone.

This is a purchase of a listing, not a donation, gift, or fundraising. Nothing is raised or passed on for a charity, cause, or third party, and payments are not tax-deductible. A listing gives no ownership, share, equity, membership, security, or stake in the pond, the site, or any duck, and no right to future revenue or control over the project. It doesn't buy traffic, clicks, customers, results, or endorsement, and nothing about a duck's survival, a flock reaching any size, or a generation lasting any length of time is promised.

You choose the amount: at least $1 and at most $10,000 per payment, in US dollars. Applicable taxes may be added at checkout. Payments are processed by Dodo Payments, which acts as the merchant of record: you buy from Dodo, and we are the supplier of the listing. Dodo's Buyer Terms apply to the payment itself and are shown at checkout · where they conflict with these Terms for the payment itself, Dodo's terms control. We never see or store your card details, and your receipt comes from Dodo by email.

Delivery. Your listing is created automatically once Dodo confirms your payment, usually within seconds. If a technical problem keeps it from appearing, tell us and we'll fix it or refund the payment.

Immediate start. By completing checkout you ask us to start delivering your listing immediately, and you acknowledge that once it is live you lose any statutory right of withdrawal or cooling-off period, to the extent the law allows that. Rights that the law doesn't let you waive stay in place.

Final sale. Payments are final and non-refundable once processed, including when you're outranked later, a generation ends, the flock dies, or the result isn't what you hoped for. The exceptions are: a duplicate or accidental double charge, a payment you didn't authorize, a listing that was never delivered because of a technical problem we can't fix, and anything the law requires. To ask, email contact@keeptheduckalive.lol within 30 days of the payment with your payment ID or listing code. Refunds go back to the original payment method and are processed through Dodo.

Cancellation. There are no subscriptions or recurring charges. Every payment is a single, one-time purchase.

Chargebacks. Please contact us or Dodo before disputing a charge with your bank. A chargeback without a legitimate basis breaches these Terms, and we may remove the listing and refuse future payments.

A Pond Keeper listing ties a business or project link to your payment. By submitting a link you confirm that you own the destination or are authorized to represent it, that it's lawful, and that it isn't malware, phishing, a scam, or built to deceive visitors. To show your listing we read public information from the linked page (its favicon, title, and short description) and display it only to identify where the listing leads. That is meant as an identifying, fair use, not as sponsorship or endorsement. If you want any of it changed or removed, email us.

Names, links, and descriptions must not:

• be illegal, fraudulent, defamatory, harassing, hateful, or violent, or exploit children;
• promote sexual or adult content, or adult platforms;
• promote gambling, betting, or games of chance;
• promote crypto assets, tokens, NFTs, exchanges, wallets, or similar virtual-asset services;
• promote weapons, unlicensed financial, medical, or health products or services, or political or charitable fundraising and crowdfunding;
• infringe copyright, trademark, or other rights, or impersonate a person, brand, or company;
• point to malware, phishing, or scams, hide the real destination behind a link shortener, or lead to chat or invite groups;
• include anyone else's personal information.

You also agree not to interfere with the site: scraping beyond normal browsing, bypassing rate limits, or manipulating counters.

We may refuse, edit, hide, or permanently remove any name, link, description, or listing, with or without notice, if we believe it breaks these Terms or the law, if a rights holder or platform complains, or if we think it creates a legal, security, or reputational risk. We may also replace a name with "a stranger". Removal for a violation is not grounds for a refund.

If you believe a listing infringes your rights or points to something unlawful, email contact@keeptheduckalive.lol with your contact details, the listing code or URL, the destination, what's wrong, and a statement that your notice is accurate. We may remove or restrict the listing while we review it.

Unless you leave the name blank, the name, reason, business link, and amount you submit are shown publicly next to your listing, and stay part of the pond's public history (Leaderboard, Memorial) even after the generation they belong to has ended. This is by design · the pond's history is meant to be permanent and honest, including its endings. You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and archive your listing and the public information we read from your link, for as long as needed to run the pond and keep that history. If you'd like something removed from public display, contact us and we'll consider the request, though the fact that a payment of a given size occurred may still be reflected anonymously in historical totals.

You must be at least 18 (or the age of majority where you live), able to form a binding contract, and allowed to use the payment method you pay with. If you pay for a business, you confirm you're authorized to bind it. You may not use the site if you're barred from receiving services under applicable sanctions or trade laws.

Listings are paid placements. Appearing on the board is not our opinion of anyone, and we don't verify listed businesses, claims, or prices. Links leave this site; their destinations have their own terms and practices, and we aren't responsible for them.

The site is provided as-is. We don't guarantee it will be available at any given moment or free of bugs. Countdowns, weather, ducks, and rankings are best-effort displays, not commitments. We may change, pause, or discontinue features, rules, minimums, categories, or the site itself. Keeping the public history permanent is our aim, but we can't guarantee it forever.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We aren't liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss (including lost profits, data, or goodwill), and our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid in the payment the claim relates to. Nothing here limits liability that the law says can't be limited.

You'll defend and hold harmless Cristian Carreno and anyone working on the site from claims and reasonable costs arising from the name, link, or content of your listing, your breach of these Terms, or your infringement of someone else's rights.

These Terms are governed by the laws of Paraguay, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. If you're a consumer, the mandatory protections of the country where you live still apply to you.

We may update these Terms, and the date at the top shows the latest version. The version in effect when you pay is the one that applies to that payment, except where a change is required by law or to address a security or legal risk.

If part of these Terms can't be enforced, the rest still applies, and not enforcing something isn't giving it up. These Terms, the Rules, the Privacy Policy, and the checkout details you confirm are the whole agreement. The Rules describe how the pond works; if they conflict with these Terms, these Terms win.

Questions, refund requests, or takedown notices: contact@keeptheduckalive.lol. See also our Privacy Policy.