[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – March 2011


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 (MAR11, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     524345  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  2     487046  XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-194.32.1.el5xen)
  3     443118  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.24-etchnhalf.1-686-bigmem)
  4     437483  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  5     421115  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
  6     394060  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  7     297022  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     282802  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  9     282363  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 10     276570  LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU (Linux (S/390) 2.6.5-7.325-s390x)
 11     268362  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 12     267205  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 13     257437  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 14     230689  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
 15     225149  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 16     223934  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 17     205363  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 18     202471  LIST.UVM.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.1.ELsmp)
 19     198541  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)
 20     186366  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Mar 2011)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3271781  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
  2     2594948  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     1369447  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
  4     1226091  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  7     1045912  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     1033455  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  9     1029593  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp)
 10     1019670  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 11      965215  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.4.el5)
 12      934520  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 13      907191  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0)
 14      884313  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15      860148  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 16      854792  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 17      852823  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18      822203  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 19      779066  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
 20      748988  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Mar 2011)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 32838  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 27637  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3 23508  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
  4 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  5 11448  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp)
  6  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  7  9584  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  8  8968  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.4.el5)
  9  7271  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-164.6.1.el5)
 10  6302  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 11  6271  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 12  6101  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  6074  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 14  5725  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15  5520  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16  5201  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
 17  4680  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 18  4218  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 19  4063  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 20  3959  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAR11, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     517813  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  2     430586  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.24-etchnhalf.1-686-bigmem)
  3     417019  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  4     410877  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
  5     383843  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  6     293710  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  7     279662  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
  8     278790  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  9     275983  LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU (Linux (S/390) 2.6.5-7.325-s390x)
 10     261610  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 11     253174  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 12     238531  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 13     230775  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
 14     224539  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15     219336  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16     202808  LIST.UVM.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.1.ELsmp)
 17     202659  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 18     184011  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)
 19     176955  NERDALERT.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-92.1.22.el5)
 20     174268  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Mar 2011)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      214815  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.27.48-0.1-default)
  2       86994  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  3       76510  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       72327  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  5       66540  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       63804  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  7       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       48606  COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
  9       44801  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       43022  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 11       42369  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12       40091  JAGNEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 13       37775  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 14       36946  SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 15       36687  EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 16       36503  DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 17       35175  STUDENT-AT-TENNESSEE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 18       34916  FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 19       34584  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 20       34480  MEDPROS-L@DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.10)