What is the purpose of email certification in preventing "joke accounts" and how is it typically implemented in PHP?

Email certification is crucial in preventing joke accounts because it ensures that users provide a valid email address during the registration process. This helps to verify the authenticity of the user and reduces the likelihood of fake or spam accounts being created. In PHP, email certification can be implemented by sending a verification email with a unique link to the user's provided email address. The user must click on the link to confirm their email before their account is fully activated.

<?php

// Generate a unique verification code
$verification_code = md5(uniqid(rand(), true));

// Send verification email to user
$to = $user_email;
$subject = "Email Verification";
$message = "Please click on the following link to verify your email address: http://www.example.com/verify.php?code=$verification_code";
$headers = "From: admin@example.com";
mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers);

// Store verification code in the database for the user
// This code should be checked when the user clicks on the verification link

?>