Stephen, it's possible to code radio button sets so that no option is selected by default (by leaving out the 'selected' attribute of all elements in the set). This is often more useful as it forces a decision by the user instead of allowing them to roll on through the form without consideration.
Note also that, in situations where most of the form fields are mandatory the asterisk might better be utilised to indicate optional fields. Hope that helps Steve On 14/11/2007, Stephen Dondershine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Does one necessarily need to add an asterisk indicating that a selection > is > required for a radio button selection form input? > > It seems to me that one can argue two ways: > > 1.) The fact that some item in the radio button group will always be > selected tacitly implies that the input is required. It is really > impossible > for the User not to mae a selection, so why bother to indicate that it's a > required field? > > 2.) Nevertheless, the required field asterisk draws the User's attention > to > the field input itself and the fact that there is potentially a decision > to > be made. It is therefore worth including. > > Thoughts? > > Steve > ________________________________________________________________ > > ---------------------------------------------- Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA Director, User Experience Strategy Red Square P: +612 8289 4930 M: +61 417 061 292 Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org Member, Web Standards Group - www.webstandardsgroup.org Contributor, UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
