Censorship, the changing or the suppression or prohibition of speech or writing..."

The relevant portion of Encyclopedia Britannica's definition of censorship definitely includes concealing text and requiring another step to reveal it. It may not be complete eradication of information, but no definition of censorship from any source I've read so defines censorship.

Almost no one has the ability to extract data from the blockchain itself, since almost no one is competent to code their own front end. Not only Steemit so censors speech, but all front ends I am aware of in common use. Telling people to 'run condenser in your own way' is like telling people if they don't like commercially available automobiles to just make their own. Maybe you can build a front end. I bet you can't build a car. I can't do either, because I build houses.

This does affect posts, which is the purpose of doing it.