Stuart set up Info-Quest primarily as an information services company and initially contracted with British Telecom as an information provider for the Prestel Videotex system. He spent five years developing various programs to do wonderful things with Prestel which was a flawed and under-funded service and ultimately somewhat of an embarrassment to BT.

After seeing the writing on the wall he moved into the area of Database development and joined The Graphics Technology Group to work on applications with emphasis on database publishing. In 1989 he joined up with Julian Bauer to form Bauer Gold Associates Ltd where he continued developing database applications. In 1996 he turned to the Internet and began specialising in the provision of data over the Web using back-end database technology.

Also in 1996 he discovered Virtual Worlds technology and since then he hasn't been able to put a coherent sentence together (according to his immediate family and friends). Later in 1996 he met Bruce Damer and has been working with him on various projects under the umbrella of the Contact Consortium including an international architecture competition for a virtual university. Recently he was offered the role of Chief Architectual Officer in Bruce's company, DigitalSpace Corporation, where he is currently working on the application of Virtual Worlds technology to commerce and education.

After attending Digital Burgess in 1997 he has become fascinated by the possibilities of combining Digital Biota with Virtual Worlds technology.

Abstract of Discussion
"The Architecting of Cyberspace "

Cyberspace in its present form is an emergent phenomenon that is fast becoming a frontier populated my human pioneers. Ever since Muds & Moos ushered in the cyber-community human beings have endeavoured to inhabit imaginary worlds on the Internet. How imaginary are these worlds or do we now have to re-define the word reality?

As well as a new frontier for humanity, virtual worlds on the Internet offer the promise of a new beginning for artificial intelligence. Digital life forms no longer constricted by the difficulties of engineering that bedevil mechanical robots, may now be able evolve in a more digital-friendly environment.

Having been colonised first by humans, virtual environments may become the front line in the relationship between humans and digital biota. There are many fascinating scenarios that could emerge from this interaction including the possibility that humans may not have everything their own way. In virtual worlds will humans suffer the same fate as the native Americans?