1. The API Javadoc for refresh() warns that using the session.refresh() method to maintain long conversations is not recommended. Why not? What are the main concerns?

2. I intend to use refresh() conversationally, though I doubt the conversations will be all that long. Basically, to reattach to an entity that is backing a table-row (or any other control), if the application user selects its values from the table for editing.

This strikes me as less risky than using update() or a merge() -- there is a possibility that the database may be directly updated through another application not using hibernate. I do not want to overwrite or lose those changes, slight as the possibility seems.

Even if you think I should be using a different strategy for 2. (like optimistic concurrency with versioning) I would still like to know the specific reasoning behind 1., the Javadoc warning.

Actually, the API doc refers to long running sessions, not conversations.
Still, the question remains.
(the topic author)