'For example: contra the article's claims, "affect" can be a noun...'

Technically true, but...

http://web.ku.edu/~edit/affect.html

'"Affect" as a noun. Forget it; you're in journalism, not psychiatry (though you might wind up in therapy). "Affect" as a noun means an emotional state as contrasted to a cognition. "Affect" is a dimension of behavior rather than a separate segment of it. "Affect" is thus experienced at the same time that perception, performance and thought are going on. (See, I told you to forget it!)'