<p>I don't see any problem.</p>

<p>Any site where people can learn will be targeted by the lazy as well as the diligent, the homework-answer-seekers as well as the professional and hobbiest. Nothing can be done about that except community self-policing. Which seems, in my opinion, to be remarkably effective.</p>

<p>In terms of stealing business from consultants, none of the questions I've asked over time have any budget to hire a consultant to answer. I'm a student and hobbiest in statistics, and if there were any budget for what I do, it would be for university classes or a new computer, not a statistical consultant. (Unless there were an absolute statistical expert in my area who for some charitable reason would tutor me for a fee I could afford.)</p>

<p>I also do my best to answer questions that I have learned about or have experience in. (I'm an Artificial Intelligence guy by training.)</p>

<p>So my answer is "Yes".</p>
