this is a common theme in the cycling world. I treat all stops with the same caution that I would while driving—which is to say—I stop completely and wait until I have the right of way because no one else is crossing, or I make a more casual stop-and-go if nothing is happening.
serious question: is this an American/ western European thing? I've traveled a bit and traffic norms seem very, very lax in some countries and are totally rigid and unquestioned in others. I can't imagine people in Japan blowing stop signs, but in African nations, no one bothers with traffic signs at all.