In article , Fred wrote:
SNIP previously quoted material

I have the same problem. Its switching it on and off (as in bathrooms and
hallways) that will shorten the life - some will only last about a year.
That goes for all fluorescents not just compacts. Say if the rated burn life
for you compact is rated for 10,000 burn hours, much better then
incandescent, but in real life where you switch it on and off like in the
bathrooms burn life perhaps well be below 400 hours, much worse than
incandescent. Doesn't matter if its high quality Japanese lamps or low end
Chinese, burn life is about the same when its exposed to high switching
cycles. My casual observation, not scientific study.

Ones with filaments preheated by "program start" or similar circuitry
prior to full start are not affected as badly by lots of starts. True
instant start (cheaper electronic-ballasted models) and glow-switch-start
ones (the ones that usually blink a few times while starting) are hurt
more by lots of starts.
NOTE - true instant start can have a little "jump" in brightness about
1/4-1/3 second after starting, due to the filaments becoming hot enough
for proper operation after this slight delay. This jump in brightness is
sudden, and the brightness is steady at a slightly lower level for this
first roughly 1/4-1/3 second, there is no "fading" from one level to
another, and you get light the instant the switch is on. "Program start"
has a delay of a fraction of a second to a second before any light at all
and then suddenly full light, and a related more favorable starting method
has the light coming on a little more gradually (but within a second) than
instant start.

I have found most Philips and Sylvania electronic-ballasted ones to be
among the better ones in this area.

- Don Klipstein )