It’s not a “coordinated attack”. And if it were, why not just concede to disclosing active users in each Q? Why give the “FUDsters” ammunition? If active user numbers are good, then that’s one less thing people can criticize. It would support the idea that this platform is gaining interest.
So why not disclose it?
Because there are probably something like 200 active users. That’s embarrassingly low. Truly humiliating for everyone involved. That’s why, instead of answering the question, you label it a “coordinated attack” and a “combative question”. That way you can dismiss it and avoid facing this evidence of failure.