[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – May 2004


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).

What do these numbers mean exactly?

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).


Top 20 sites by volume delivered daily (MAY04, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    9369922  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    2798167  LSRV01.QUADPLEXIC.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    1860187  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     643891  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  5     491653  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     424894  MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     408259  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     378135  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     369557  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     344828  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11     296485  LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     293025  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
 13     244879  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     240520  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 15     238527  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 16     229746  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 17     225624  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.20-28.7smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     222443  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.26)
 19     221742  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 20     213576  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 May 2004)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3388990  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  2     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  4     1182965  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  5     1166970  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1034117  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     1033379  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
  8      885456  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  9      836878  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      823654  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-20.8smp)
 11      737304  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
 12      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13      627726  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1)
 14      610538  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.3.0)
 15      605158  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 16      552567  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 17      552334  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
 18      543528  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 19      486287  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      473345  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 May 2004)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 21499  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-20.8smp)
  2 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  3 18138  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4 17319  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  5  9433  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  6  7428  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
  7  4884  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1)
  8  4596  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9)
  9  4456  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10  4007  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.20-28.7smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11  3954  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 12  3900  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 13  3771  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 14  3763  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 15  3628  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 16  3181  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 17  2628  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18  2228  LISTS.VCU.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-5)
 19  2218  LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp)
 20  2200  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAY04, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     821414  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     643929  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  3     463526  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     422202  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  5     405495  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     394592  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     306128  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.26)
  8     272604  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
  9     263789  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 10     263379  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 11     260804  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     236454  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     233666  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 14     224368  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.20-28.7smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     182239  LISTES.LEMONDE.FR (SunOS 5.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     173447  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     170555  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     165800  MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/SP 3.0)
 19     157375  LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     156328  SEGATE.SUNET.SE (Solaris 2.8)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 May 2004)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      286320  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  2      282485  GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      222483  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4      178297  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5      160651  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  6      142542  CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7      124855  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      111227  BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9       80799  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1)
 10       69003  CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-30.9smp)
 11       67359  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 12       60621  CL-ANNOUNCE@LIST.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 13       60261  FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
 14       57163  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 15       56190  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16       45269  FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
 17       44747  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 18       38407  ALUMNEWS@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19       37877  CTWADVISORYBOARD-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20       37664  L-PSU-TRAVEL-PROGRAM@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)