We now live in what Gartner calls an ‘algorithm driven’ world. Everything from ordering a taxi to finding a date involves complex algorithms, whether you know it or not. The world is shaped by algorithms which predict and execute against defined rules in order to automatically carry out every day processes.

US computer engineer Ray Tomlinson sent the first email back in 1971. The World Wide Web wasn’t invented until 18 years later, when CERN computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee came up with a solution sharing information on different computers. While email began as a simple communication tool, it’s had almost 45 years to evolve. Today it is also widely used as an information and storage platform. Instead of deleting an email after it is read, for example, most people archive or file it away for later reference.