# ClientHello, author of ssl.sh

> ClientHello is the pen name of the ssl.sh author, a senior technology industry practitioner. How articles are drafted, source-checked and corrected.

Source: https://ssl.sh/about/author/
Last updated: 2026-11-10

ClientHello is the pen name of a senior technology industry practitioner who writes and maintains ssl.sh. Articles are drafted with AI assistance and checked against primary sources (RFCs, CA/Browser Forum ballots, browser root program policies and vendor documentation) before publishing. Each page shows the date it was last verified.

## What I write about

I write everything on ssl.sh that carries an author line: fixes for [SSL/TLS errors](/errors/), [install and renewal guides](/guides/), explanations of how TLS and PKI work in [Learn](/learn/), the [OpenSSL cookbook](/cookbook/), and [news](/news/) about CA/Browser Forum ballots and root program changes. I also maintain the free [tools](/tools/) and the `curl ssl.sh/example.com` interface, so the articles and the checker describe the same behaviour.

## How an article is made

1. **Start from a real question.** Usually an error message someone pasted into a search box, or a task such as renewing a certificate before the shorter validity periods arrive.
2. **Draft with AI assistance.** A first draft is written with the help of an AI model. It is a starting point, not a source.
3. **Check every claim against a primary source.** Dates, limits, defaults and command options are compared with the RFC, the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements and ballots, the root program policies of Chrome, Mozilla, Apple and Microsoft, or the vendor's own documentation. Claims that cannot be traced to a source are removed.
4. **Show the work.** Every article lists its sources and the date it was last verified, so you can see what it is based on and how fresh it is.

## Why a pen name

A pen name keeps the attention on the sources rather than on the person: every statement on ssl.sh should hold up because of the RFC or policy it links to, not because of who wrote it. The name comes from ClientHello, the first message a TLS client sends to start a handshake.

## Corrections

If you find a mistake, email [hello@ssl.sh](mailto:hello@ssl.sh) with the page address and the source that disagrees. The full editorial policy, including how ssl.sh makes money, is on the [About page](/about/).