Hey,
Welcome new posters! Theses contests are great, and despite what you may hear, comments are never too harsh. They are usually very helpful. It's usually that writers can get a tad sensitive about their darlings. I know that I can.
I took some comments on my last story in the Escape Pod contest, integrated them, improved my story, and I ended up selling it. I also saw another story from the EP constest published in another market. So, contests like these provide some great feedback and benefit authors.