Authentication Vs. Validation

Authentication

Whether you know it or not, you have used authentication many times on the Internet. Every time you enter a user name and a password to access a site, email or forum, you've authenticated your identity.

Networking

User IDs and passwords may be the most common form of authentication, but they are not the only one. Networks, servers and websites can all be authenticated for added security.

Secure Certificates

You can tell when a site is using increased security protocols, or authentication, when you see 'https' in the address, as opposed to 'http.'

Differences

Authentication allows a server to know that a user or another server is who or what it says it is. Validation is a way for a Web designer to make sure her code is valid--that is, able to be read by a variety of Web browsers and operating systems.

Standards for Validation

Validation standards are created by the W3, or the World Wide Web Consortium. The W3 offers a code validator on site, and it will alert you if there are problems with the code, such as forgetting to close a tag, invalid or missing XML (Extensible Markup Language) declarations or doctype concerns. You can upload files or simply enter a URL to use the validator.