I have noticed an uptick! I didn't get anything at all the first week out, but there's been a slow trickle of comments I don't think I would have otherwise gotten. I've been tickled pretty pink by them :D

As to the lack of sincerity, I'd generally assume that if someone didn't like my podfic, they'd just fail to leave a comment, rather than false praise. Yes, this is a competition, but the podfic community is generally too sincere for that kind of thing, from where I'm standing. Oh man, I really hope that my high totals don't make it look like my comments are insincere! Because they're really, really not /o\