I am also a non-professional wood botherer and this take is mostly right. The “mostly” part is that edge grain butcher block Is A Thing, at least from the perspective of companies trying to sell countertops. Home Depot sells long grain stave countertop as “butcher block” with no mention of grain anywhere. Armani Woodworking (no relation) offers edge grain butcher block countertops with end grain offered as a premium option, though it’s hard to read their writeup and view the two options as the same product. John Boos has both edge and end grain countertops, but everything they sell as a “butcher block” has end grain top (and this is as it should be.).

Marketeering appropriation of the term “butcher’s block” aside, though, these are still pretty good countertops and your wood care advice to OP is spot on.