Everybody has different starting points and different goals with guitar playing and music.

Starting out from absolute scratch, I think it would be helpful to have an private instructor or at least a more experienced player to go to. Simple things like how to tune the guitar, how to hold the guitar, etc. can be made much easier in person. Yes these things are covered in the lessons here, but some things are just best explained in person.

For me, I came here in a situation silimilar to JeffS65. I had played for quite some time and was mostly self taught. I wanted to fill in some skill gaps, learn some songs, and learn to improvise. The blues course and guidance from Anders Moridsen (who also teaches the blues course) really boosted me to the next level. These skills boosted me enough to pursue joining a band and getting out there gigging. I went from barely being able to improvise my way out of a wet paper bag to improvising solos on stage on a regular basis.

The courses here along with interaction with the community and instructors in this forum really helped get me to that next level...and beyond.