Abstract
Farmers need accurate, timely and relevant information to resolve critical issues and in general to manage and adapt their farming processes in order to remain viable and competitive. Farmers commonly seek agricultural information through extension agents and programs and more recently through the Internet. While many farmers have access to various Internet based extension tools using rural focused websites and Web 2.0 technologies, not enough is known about the uptake and effectiveness of these tools. This paper describes a preliminary investigation into discovering the critical factors that influence Queensland farmers' effective use of Internet based extension tools. The research has the potential to improve decision-making in agricultural enterprises by assessing the usability and effectiveness of existing tools and providing guidelines for the development of new tools based on Web 2.0 technologies.