buckworks - 4:38 pm on Jan 19, 2009 (gmt 0)

having the final result validate is not necessary

It would matter a great deal exactly WHY one's page did not pass validation.

Some validation errors cause no known harm except to annoy the purists, but it's possible for the wrong kind of error to cause major problems for some users, including to stop a spider in its tracks.

It is vital to understand the difference, and clean up accordingly.