I always thought SNOT just meant that you couldn't see any studs on the presentation surface, for example, such that if you took a picture of your model then you wouldn't see any studs.

Is it broader, like to mean using a brick in such a way that normally the studs would be on top but now they're in a different position? Or something like that, e.g., not just in the overall aesthetic?

I admittedly don't really know all of the terminology. My kid has recently gotten old enough for LEGO, so I'm starting to learn more (or relearn what I knew as a kid myself maybe).