No it doesn't. The only things that matters here is whether or not the or not should be there in the first place!
I've been trying to find a solution to this problem of how to correctly put two conflicting scenarios where one is the alternate to the other, in one sentence. Can I actually use "whether or not" and get away with it without suffering any repercussions from the grammar police?
Somehow it doesn't feel right to say whether or not I'm right. It sounds gramatically correct with whether I'm right or not but still it's mouthful. Then I just realise that it sounds even better with the plain whether I'm right. I'm not sure if I'm right though.
Apparently, the or not issue has been discussed and debated all this while. Columbia Journalism Review has a brief but very informative article on this issue.
It says, among other things, that, "At times, though, balance, euphony and even logic demand `or not' or something else to specify the alternative outcome."
But even then, from now on, I shall try no to use or not after the word whether if that is possible.
One more thing, can I say whether I'm right or otherwise instead? Hmmm... I guess not. Imagine having to write whether or otherwise I'm right... Ah, Shakespeare is turning in his grave again!
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