![[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]](/images/HDR-LISTSERV-sm.gif)
There are many possible ways to measure the relative "importance" or "size" of LISTSERV sites: number of lists, number of subscribers, number of messages delivered, etc. In most cases, the number of messages delivered is used to rank mailing list managers, because it is the most accurate measurement of the amount of activity on the server. But, depending on what you are looking for, other variables may be more appropriate. There are currently three LISTSERV "Top 20" lists, ranking the various servers according to:
In addition, you can view a list of the Top 20 lists in the network (by number of subscribers).
The statistics are gathered daily by a monitor at L-Soft which polls all the LISTSERV sites that participate in the "open" LISTSERV network over the worldwide Internet. Corporate servers operating in a "closed" environment are not included.
The statistics are organized in monthly reports. The message volume figures are a flat average of the accumulated traffic for the entire month. Thus, a server that delivers 300,000 messages per month will show a daily average of 10,000 messages. In practice, there is a lot less traffic during the weekend, and even during business days there can be significant fluctuations (~30%). The list statistics (number of lists, number of subscribers, largest lists in the network) are measured as of the last day in the month.
For the current month, the message volume figures are averaged based on the number of days that have elapsed. In practice, the figures are not very meaningful in the first few days, especially if the month starts on a weekend. In that case it is best to refer to the previous month for more accurate figures.
A fourth "Top 20" list is available for the more technically oriented: Number of messages generated by the server. This corresponds to the number of mail messages created by the server while processing postings to its mailing lists. LISTSERV delivers its mail using an intelligent mail delivery function called DISTRIBUTE, which improves mail delivery times and reduces bandwidth usage by spreading the delivery chore over scores of participating servers. Each of these servers processes the recipients for its service area (typically its organization or campus). In most cases, DISTRIBUTE simply alters the manner in which the mail is delivered, and the number of messages forwarded to other sites for optimized delivery is roughly equal to the number of messages received by other sites for the same purpose. In some cases, however, this is not the case, either because the server elected to serve a much wider service area than its own organization, or because it is explicitly forwarding all its deliveries to another machine (for instance, many mainframe-based servers forward their mail to a workstation or PC for delivery).
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 2449532 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 535340 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 464607 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 4 452527 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 437428 ISBLISTS.ZDNET.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 435050 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 407837 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 344453 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 331972 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 327742 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 11 323629 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 321024 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 13 242843 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 236676 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 219156 LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 217844 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 217731 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 18 207597 LSV.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 196896 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 193421 ZIPCODE1.OFFICE.AOL.COM (???)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3302523 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 1941719 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 3 1482294 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 842513 ISBLISTS.ZDNET.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 673191 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 467268 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 254569 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a) 8 242905 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 9 208052 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 186908 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 173730 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 158018 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 13 134415 SERVICES.WEB.AOL.COM (Solaris 2.4) 14 125567 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 15 122011 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 110372 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 108877 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 18 107584 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 19 97259 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 20 95894 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 3558 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 2047 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 3 1459 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 1458 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 5 1457 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.2) 6 1284 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 7 1284 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 1222 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 1009 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 10 970 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 11 817 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 12 812 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 779 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 721 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 705 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 697 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 17 683 VM.TEMPLE.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0) 18 642 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5) 19 626 ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 20 623 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 797071 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 670957 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 546695 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 517135 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 489872 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 469898 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 7 437428 ISBLISTS.ZDNET.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 414500 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 409077 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 10 389463 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 385951 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 12 345907 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 13 264493 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 254257 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 249619 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 16 237121 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 17 226338 LSV.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 198247 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 193669 ZIPCODE1.OFFICE.AOL.COM (???) 20 187020 CUNYVM (VM/ESA 2.3.0)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 243804 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 95551 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 74999 ANSWERMAN@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 4 68290 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 68167 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 6 54135 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 7 49668 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 8 42523 POLOCLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 41691 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 10 36019 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 11 32691 PSNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 12 32151 NEW-KEYWORDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 13 31754 SCOUT-REPORT@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET (Solaris 2.5.1) 14 29257 UCSMON@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 28102 CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 16 27048 SCOUT-REPORT@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 26013 ATHLETE_DIRECT@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 18 25387 AHHPULSE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 19 25039 NETGUIDENOW-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 24020 NETGIR-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
