Browse without Develop

Question

I'm new to Lightroom 4.1 and have a basic question. After I export to a folder (called "out") for example, how can I browse and review those output images without lightroom trying to Develop them again (for example, apply default sharpening etc)?
I imported the "out" folder and when I browse, those files are re-developed using defaults. Ideally that folder would be "view only". Right now I've been bringing up Bridge to review the output files so I can go back to Lightroom and make adjustments if that are not sharp enough etc.
The only way I can think of is to strip all camera info from the "out" export and that way it won't know the camera serial number and iso and therefore won't try to auto-develop them (that works, but means I can't have camera info in them).
Any ideas on a "no develop" folder view?
thanks much

Answer 1

First, it is possible to have LR import a JPG image without applying any changes to it. And that can be the default for JPG images. If Sharpening is set to 0 then no added sharpening is done.
Second, I have never seen any need or point in re-importing my exported images. The reason for making an export is because you want to have a version of your image outside of LR, for a particular purpose - and that purpose is by definition one that does not involve being inside LR... or there would have been no need to export at all.
I like to keep a clear separation between my LR library, which is a tool for making prints and exports, vs the prints and exports that it has made. A foot and a footprint may be exactly the same shape, but are quite different in their causality and in their natures.
I also find the distinction between picture sharpening, and process sharpening, useful.
One implied objection - how do you judge output sharpening and resampling since LR does not preview these for you - is very valid. I just doubt that re-importing to LR is the best method or context to do that. The OS's standard image viewer can browse the exported location perfectly fine; or if exported for viewing online I will usually want to check what it looks like in the browser as part of checking things have uploaded OK.
I see output sharpening as something that seldom gets varied image-by-image, once tested to our satisfaction and included into an export preset. Once we have worked out what  corrects suitably for the blurring effect inherent in a particular form of output, that can also be relied on to suit other images equally well AFAICT - when they in turn undergo the same output.
We soon gain experience at interpreting the Develop preview (e.g. at 1:1 pixel view) in its own terms. As a picture, a range of various outputs still remain equally possible and the master image is not dedicated to any one of these necessarily.
It is the job of output sharpening IMO, to properly maintain whatever look we have achieved in Develop, through the output process.