I make my living online, where 'The Algorithm' is the essential tool that no one really knows how to use. In essence it's the ever changing set of rules the big online companies like Google programme into their systems to decide who sees what in their search results and timelines. If 'The Algorithm' is with you, your cat video will be seen by 5 million people on social media and if all goes well someone will send you a check in the post. If 'The Algorithm' is against you, you could make a video outlining a proven cure for cancer, and still no one would see it pop up Facebook.
In my luddite professional experience, you spend your time second guessing what the rules may be, and it ends up being a waste of effort because it changes so often you may as well try to second guess an election result in the era of Trump and Corbyn.
Where The Algorithm has become essential is as a professional excuse. When an article doesn't do well, or your latest social media content offering gets just 10 views, all from you admiring your own work, you can breezily tell your boss "Google/Facebook/Youtube must have changed The Algorithm" and think no more of it. Boss is happy, you're employed for one more week, and you can be absolutely certain that the next time the internet fails to take notice of your genius, The Algorithm will have changed again.
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