Honestly I don't get the point or appeal of 99% of outdoor lights. Without them you can see hundreds of feet or more with star light alone, not to mention the moon. In urban area you can see even more with a completely overcast sky because of the amount of ligh pollution.

And it has only gotten worse with the commonality of led lights now. Plus people seem to have zero etiquette of where they should be pointing lights.

Yes a lot of outdoor lighting is thanks to the idea that if there are bright lights pointed around the sides of the property it will discourage certain people being there, though it makes some people feel safer if they can look outside at night without their eyes having to adjust.

There's outdoor lighting and over the top obnoxious lighting - preferably on when it needs to be on, shaded, directed where it needs to be, when someone is outside and needs to see reasonably well. Most people since light fittings and wiring isn't cheap, settle for a multi purpose option.

I find it both amusing and sad how the humble useful porch light has evolved from the days where the light was typically downward pointing, and if it wasn't shaded, one knew the shade had fallen off or was broken.

There is probably a niche market for clever lighting using low or adjustable power lighting to illuminate just the shadows of the yard so it's easy to see night time interlopers, and also dim enough that if they really wanted to remove something in particular and see well, they'd need to use a torch.

I used to enjoy walking at night in my rural locale, but the rise of people living closer nearby, their outward to horizon pointed lights, even an open unshaded 40w tube at some couple miles distance makes it hard on the eyes.