always [...] why would it be an implicit default?
Cause that's what I intuitively expected, because in the tools that I use daily, that how it is there. Here are some examples of other administrative web interfaces that use grey to show you the implicit default that I happen to have running and could find in like 3 minutes. So much for your overconfident "always":
- Proxmox PVE or PBS. Basically every dialog. Example network interface configuration:

- TrueNAS, example "Add Dataset"

- OPNsense, example "Firewall Rule", the destination port range has an implicit default and is grey:

Note: I'm not talking about a form to fill in your name with "john doe" or whatever, and even that I can't even remember seeing either. Cause it just says "Name:" and nobody needs an example.
