[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – February 2009


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 (FEB09, 1-28)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     471245  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.5.ELsmp)
  2     467842  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     462546  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     432571  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
  5     393625  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.24-etchnhalf.1-686-bigmem)
  6     378431  XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-92.1.18.el5xen)
  7     306232  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition)
  8     301011  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  9     286033  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 10     280092  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 11     265478  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     264798  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 13     260727  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp)
 14     248367  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 15     247163  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 16     236342  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 17     225783  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 18     211600  LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU (Linux (S/390) 2.6.5-7.315-s390x)
 19     203225  MAESTRO3.AZCENTRAL.COM (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.13.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     199961  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (28 Feb 2009)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     2864390  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-57.ELsmp)
  2     2361892  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     1379902  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  4     1376032  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1132478  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.5.ELsmp)
  7     1025434  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0)
  8     1000413  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6)
  9      879026  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 10      855908  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp)
 11      812097  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 12      803604  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 13      756711  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.1.ELsmp)
 14      744936  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15      737771  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.8-smp)
 16      712565  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17      708798  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 18      707403  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.5.ELsmp)
 19      663452  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.EL)
 20      653453  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (28 Feb 2009)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 26281  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 22181  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-57.ELsmp)
  3 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  4 12137  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
  5 11254  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6)
  6 10636  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.1.ELsmp)
  7  7768  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp)
  8  7074  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  9  6493  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-92.1.10.el5)
 10  5698  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 11  5524  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 12  5335  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.8-smp)
 13  5052  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.5.ELsmp)
 14  4879  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15  4829  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 16  4747  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17  4559  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18  4352  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 19  3798  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 20  3410  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (FEB09, 1-28)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     463113  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.5.ELsmp)
  2     462883  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     446825  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     419189  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
  5     384053  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.24-etchnhalf.1-686-bigmem)
  6     297252  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  7     278225  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  8     277218  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  9     270549  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition)
 10     262750  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 11     247522  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp)
 12     240118  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 13     234190  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 14     228370  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15     221634  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 16     211037  LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU (Linux (S/390) 2.6.5-7.315-s390x)
 17     193892  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18     192130  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 19     187806  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 20     179091  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (28 Feb 2009)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      127083  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18.8-0.9-default)
  2      122840  POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9)
  3       79642  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       79516  ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6)
  5       77248  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       74042  E-ARTACADEMY@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9)
  7       68919  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       64389  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  9       62332  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       52804  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 11       46424  L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
 12       46143  SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13       44417  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 14       44410  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 15       42109  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp)
 16       37383  PRESIDENT@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 17       36859  EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 18       36695  DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 19       35732  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 20       35042  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)