[Gibbon1]

Agreed. As someone that off and on designs electronics a standard light bulb + fixture is a bad match for LED lighting because it's not really designed for heat dissipation. And keeping the temp down is really important if you want long life.

You also need regulations that will bitch slap manufactures that underrate components. Seriously if an LED light burns out inside 10 years you should be able to exchange it for two similar ones at the manufacturers expense.

[pfdietz]

Note sure about your second point there. An LED can be brighter if the diode is driven harder, right? But that can shorten its lifespan. Also, LEDs degrade over time, maybe it's better they just die before they get too dim. There's a tradeoff here between lifespan and user experience, and perhaps between lifespan and energy efficiency.

[Gibbon1]

Yes running the LED's close or over their rated current will notably shorten their life. It's generally true for all components. Lifespan quickly falls as you approach the max rated voltage, current, and temperature. And they compound. Thing to know specs for component lifespans at max rated conditions is often remarkably short, like 1000's of hours.