How do I permanently save edits I make in LR3?

Question

I am new to this software. I  have an existing collection of over 40,000 images. I am an amateur photographer making images for
my own amusement, and I also document objects that are brought to me for restoration. Both purposes are very important to me.
I have been using Picasa to manage my photos for several years. While it is limited, it is very elegant and easy to use. It also does not change the original file until a request is made for a permanent change, at which point a backup original is made. Once saved, the picasa edit can be viewed by any other viewer, software or browser I am aware of.
I am liking all the manipulations that are possible with LR3. I am concerned that there seems to be no way to save an edited file so that it can be viewed using other (non adobe) software. I want to be able to upload images to my website, and to be able to share with my customers, friends, family etc.  I do not want to be locked in to Flickr . I am very concerned that I might spend huge amounts of time learning LR3 then even huger amounts of time editing my images with it, only to find at some point down the road that I will be locked in and unable to see my work using another software/viewer/browser. I.E. what if I were to convert to a Mac and decide to use Aperture 3 instead? What if somebody else comes up with software I prefer and wish to change?  Am I always going to be bound up with LR to see my edited work? What if Adobe decides to no longer support LR3 and replaces it with a product that I find unacceptable, unaffordale or incomprehensible?  (all three  scenarios have happened to me in the past).  Will I have to rework thousands of images years from now? I am very confused about this, and would much rather drop the software now before I get in too deep. I absolutely do not want to be commited to having to use anybody's software forever.
I see the line "Web Photo Gallery created by Adobe Lightroom." and it terrifies me. I may have used a Pentax camera, and Adobe software, but the images were created by me, and I wish to retain total control over my work.
JG

Answer 1

I quite understand and greatly value the non invasive features that preserve the original data.
I also appreciate basics, from which I can learn and extrapolate.
I edited and exported a dng file, to a jpeg format, it went from 9mb to 865kb
I edited and exported a 9.6mb jpg which became a 1.5 mg jpg.
I did a separate edit (major crop) and small adjustements using Picasa, and saved a copy. Both jpg.
The original was 11.4 mb, and the copy 5.2 mb.Used the same file to do an edit using the camera mfg
software, and the file went from 11.4 to 983kb
I may be missing something very obvious or I may be overly paranoid.
Most of the time, once I am done with an edit, I do not wish to revisit.
I am concerned about what happens to 90% or so of the data. I remain
unclear  about the integrity of the "exported"/ "saved" edit in the event that original file/data is lost, or separated from
the LR coding instructions,
or if LR becomes unsupported or abandoned.
Being able to reference conservation treatment data 10 or 15 years down the road can be critical.
Memory is cheap. If the answer is multiple back ups for original data, metadata, and pertinent software, then
that is an answer.  If it means the editied image is forever and permanently linked to LR, and without LR,
the original file must be re-edited to similar result, that is also an answer. If the loss of information results in image degradation
analagous to photographing a magazine print of an original transparency, or trying to work with data from a thumbnail image,
that is also an answer. Whichever if any is the most accurate, defines my approach to how I might use this software. A little like archival quality printing versus drug store snapshot prints.  Time spent editing is orders of magnitude greater that time spent capturing the image. Protecting that investment of time is what I am ultimately interested in.