Only humans dont like algae. Fish love it and it's not actually bad for your pond. However, algea will not clear the water. Floating algea will cloud it green to the point where it looks like pea soup and you can't see in at all.

To clear your water, you need a filter, more water plants, and some beneficial pond bacteria. The bacteria seems to be the least important of those when it comes to clearing the water. Last year i didn't use it and my pond was beautiful. This year, i used it in the spring and now i have string algae. It may be a coincidence but I'm not sure.

Play around with it! Floating water plants like water lettuce and hyacinth work really well to make the water clear but they also quickly take over the entire surface and are also illegal in some states.

Thanks Krestin,
I wasn't sure if the large amount of the algae growing over the surface of my small lotus bog would somehow steal nutrients or keep the lotus from growing.
But you're right.....only humans don't like it! haha