The use of the Internet has spread further than computers and beyond the bounds of any specific discipline, and has come to permeate the texture of our reality and every aspect of our daily lives. The ways in which we relate to each other, obtain information, make decisions… that is, the ways in which we experience and learn about our surroundings, are increasingly mediated by the information systems that underlie the net. Massive amounts of information are generated by this constant interaction, and the only way to manage this data is through automated processing using algorithms. A humanist understanding of how this ‘algorithmic medium’ has evolved and how we interact with it is essential in order to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to play an active role in shaping our culture.