AMD’s strong culture is founded on a fierce desire and passion to innovate on behalf of our customers.  For all our employees around the globe, we strive to create an environment where thoughts are shared, ideas are debated, and innovations are created.  One mechanism to share such ideas is through online social media tools.

The Internet and social networking have become a valuable and effective way to communicate directly with consumers and AMD enthusiasts. AMD encourages public conversations by employees in relation to their AMD role through social networks, blogs and other online communities, as appropriate.

Examples of social media tools and technologies include:

• Web logs (blogs)
• One-to-many instant messaging tools (e.g., Twitter)
• User forums
• Social networking sites (e.g., Facebook)
• Rich Content sites (Flickr, YouTube, TwitPic, etc.)
• Bookmarking (Digg, Delicious)

In the spirit of open dialogue and idea sharing, AMD allows employees to use social media tools and applications to communicate externally on behalf of AMD on topics in which they are subject matter experts.  The guidelines below are intended to provide best practice tips to help AMD employees create productive and beneficial social media interactions.

Note:  These guidelines are subject to, and in compliance with, AMD’s Social Media Legal Policy and other AMD polices, AMD’s Worldwide Standards of Business Conduct, and all applicable legal requirements.

Guidelines for AMD Employees Engaging in Social Media

Please note that all interactions with traditional media (press and industry analysts) and financial/ investment analysts are managed by the AMD Communications team in compliance with the AMD External Communications and Quiet Time policy.

If you are an active social media engager, you by default are representing AMD’s views as well as your own views. Please consider this when communicating.

HONESTY

• Discuss what you know. Speak about topics that are close to you and about which you are knowledgeable. Smart, compelling content and a specific point of view can help you engage with others in conversations.
• Be yourself. Letting your personality come through is encouraged. It’s part of what makes social media unique and engaging. However, don’t be too informal when discussing AMD or anything related to your work – always remain professional. And always use your real name when communicating on behalf of AMD, and identify yourself as an AMD employee.
• Nurture conversations. Social media is designed to encourage open-ended conversations that invite replies, links between people, sharing of relevant content and further interaction. Providing worthwhile information and interesting perspective can help to keep the conversation going. The most successful social media engagers are those who pay attention to what others are saying about the topic they want to write about, and generously reference and link to them. Remember the Web is all about links; when you see something interesting and relevant, link to it; you’ll be doing your readers a service, and you’ll also generate return links.

INTEGRITY

• Protect your relationships. Ensure that any comments about companies and products are accurate, fair and can be substantiated, and avoid disparaging comments. Treat your customer, partner, vendor and colleague relationships with care. Sharing sensitive, private or confidential information about AMD or its partners is not permitted. Be judicious and careful about what you share online, as it can spread rapidly.
• Use your best judgment. Remember that there are always consequences to what you publish. If you’re about to publish something that makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, pause, reflect on why that is and consider how to edit or modify. Trust your instincts. Recognize the diverse set of customs, values and points of view that exist across AMD and avoid controversial topics of a personal nature (e.g., politics, religion). And never respond in anger.
• Take responsibility. Be the first to respond to your own mistakes. If you make an error, be up front about your mistake and correct it quickly. If you choose to modify an earlier comment, make it clear that you have done so. You have sole responsibility for what you publish in any form of online social media.

TRANSPARENCY

• Be open and clear. The lines between public and private, personal and professional are often blurred in social media. By identifying yourself as an AMD employee online, you are quickly connected to colleagues, customers, competitors and more. You should ensure that content associated with you is consistent with your work at AMD.
• No hidden agendas. If you should receive a request from a blogger to supply AMD products or AMD-powered PC systems for review, you should encourage them to be open and upfront on their blog, stating that they received AMD products for review from AMD. AMD does not pay bloggers to review products.
• Timeliness is key. The fast-paced world of social media demands quick responses to be useful, so social media engagement should be considered a commitment. If you initiate an online conversation, it’s important to regularly monitor the conversation and put aside time to re-engage in a timely manner.
• Cite your sources. Consider everything you find online copyrighted material. If you reference someone else’s idea, image, etc., cite them and/or link to the original content. Conversely, consider disclaimers if you feel they are necessary (e.g., “the opinions expressed are my own,” or “I believe that…” instead of presenting a statement or opinion as fact).