Ben,
No, I do not give more credence to people because they are raters. I try to look at themes in posts from frequent posters and match them against my own experiences. If someone really likes a course I like or vice versa, then I am more likely to want to play or not play a course that they recommend. I have limited opportunity to play a lot of courses around the country, let alone the world, so I try to gather as much information as possible. For example, we are making what might be are only trip to Carmel later this month--Pacific Grove will be on the agenda precisely because of recommendations from people on GCA who seem to have perspective/tastes similar to my wife's and mine. Sean A. is a great example--he has written highly about courses that I have played and really like (Mid Pines, The Island Club, and Hope Valley) so I certainly would consult his views in planning a trip. I believe he said he is a rater, and I would hazard a bet that it would be for World Top 100 or GW.
Ira