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Learn about user authentication: what it is, how it works and why web sites use it.
[MUSIC]
0:00
Welcome to User Authentication
with Express and Mongo DB.
0:04
In this course, I'll show you how to add a
user sign up and log in form to a website.
0:08
This will let you password
protect parts of a site and
0:13
limit access for only those visitors
who have an account and are signed in.
0:16
And when you know who's signed in, you'll
be able to customize the experience for
0:21
each of your site's visitors.
0:25
You're probably pretty used to creating
accounts and logging into websites.
0:27
Maybe use social media
sites like Facebook and
0:30
Twitter, e-commerce sites like Amazon or
entertainment applications like Netflix.
0:33
They all require you to create an account
with a username and password and
0:38
usually a bunch of other information,
like your email home address and so on.
0:42
After you create an account, you use
the service by logging into the site.
0:47
You type your username and
password into a log in form.
0:51
This provides credentials to the web
server to prove you are who you say you
0:55
are, once you're logged in or
authenticated you can access pages and
0:58
information that other people can't
like your Amazon order history or
1:03
direct messages on Twitter.
1:06
In fact, you're experiencing
user authentication right now
1:08
here on Treehouse.
1:12
You had to sign up to join Treehouse, and
you had to log in to access this course.
1:13
Because you're authenticated,
we know who you are.
1:19
We can display your name,
your picture, and
1:22
the number of points you've
earned as a Treehouse student.
1:23
We know which course you're taking, and
what video you'll be watching next.
1:26
And we can recommend other courses and
1:30
workshops based on what
you've already watched here.
1:32
Authentication has two benefits.
1:36
First, it provides password protection to
hide content from unauthorized users.
1:38
For example, only students who
are logged in get to view this video and
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take this course.
1:47
But more importantly, authentication lets
us customize the learning experience for
1:48
you, because we know you're the one
who's logged into this page right now.
1:53
Pretty cool, right?
1:58
To get the most from these lessons,
you should be familiar with Node,
1:59
npm, Express, and Mongo, and have taken
the prerequisites for this course.
2:03
See the teacher's notes on this page for
2:07
links to the courses you should
have taken before this one.
2:09
Okay, let's get started.
2:12
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