<p>I can only speak for myself, but I think stats.SE is a great idea for a third category of people you might not have considered as such: self-learners!</p>

<p>I am a Computer Scientist without any background in statistics, and I am learning lots on my own as part of my recent efforts to get into machine learning. 
I can hardly go to a consultant when I don't understand a description in a stats book, or when one of my toy algorithms isn't behaving as it should. I don't have a practical problem I need solving, just trying to understand some concept/algorithm.
On the other hand, I'm also not a student who has a study group of peers and/or professors I might discuss my issues with.</p>

<p>What should someone like me do? Give up machine learning and all things statistics and leave it to the consultants? :-)</p>
