An algorithm for encoded electronic mail is disclosed whereby the meta-data of the email and the files that represent the email data are combined into a single file. Encoding, via a header, is then used to monitor the changes to the meta-data and the location of the actual data within the file. The format of the combined file may be, but is not limited to, a fixed-sized header that contains links to the information within the file, followed by the actual email data, followed by the variable meta-data information. The header links include a link to the start of the email data, a link to the email sender, and a link to the email receivers. All the meta-data information is referenced, but not necessarily stored, in the header. The system is designed to maximize the use of resources including, but not limited to, memory, disk space, file descriptors, and locks.