![[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 592263 JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 2 364757 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem) 3 330512 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition) 4 302741 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 5 282949 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 6 231715 LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.4.1.el5) 7 230637 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 8 221581 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-274.17.1.el5) 9 206626 LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10) 10 190702 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 11 188399 LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10) 12 159918 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.13-0.27-default) 13 153696 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 14 149116 LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.8.1.el5xen) 15 140595 PO.MISSOURI.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.24.1.el5PAE) 16 137939 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition) 17 135893 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 18 131682 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp) 19 125387 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 20 124010 MAIL.MYVALOTTERY.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3839626 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5) 2 3459214 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 3 1351674 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-274.17.1.el5) 4 1313444 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp) 5 1228898 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 6 1192183 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64) 7 1125906 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp) 8 1059036 LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.4.1.el5) 9 1033098 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5) 10 1000841 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.1.1.el5) 11 996622 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 12 957701 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.13-0.27-default) 13 919809 LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 918093 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0) 15 839895 LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.59-0.3-default) 16 824314 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp) 17 805077 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 18 753197 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 19 751295 LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.8.1.el5xen) 20 724125 LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 33498 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 2 30439 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 3 30277 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5) 4 12200 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp) 5 12186 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp) 6 9788 LISTS.CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 9599 LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.4.1.el5) 8 8669 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5) 9 7834 LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5) 10 6733 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 11 6687 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64) 12 6298 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.13-0.27-default) 13 6018 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 14 5671 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 15 5532 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003) 16 5368 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-274.17.1.el5) 17 4633 LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9) 18 4193 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 19 4025 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 20 3928 LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 577046 JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 2 352871 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem) 3 321420 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition) 4 297622 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 5 269163 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 6 226662 LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.4.1.el5) 7 226167 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 8 215387 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-274.17.1.el5) 9 187976 LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10) 10 187810 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 11 181984 LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10) 12 156554 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.13-0.27-default) 13 152327 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 14 140609 PO.MISSOURI.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.24.1.el5PAE) 15 136771 LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.8.1.el5xen) 16 134447 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 17 130309 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp) 18 129041 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition) 19 117352 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition) 20 115921 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 246325 COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.59-0.3-default) 2 87630 COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64) 3 86994 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 4 74965 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 5 72327 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 6 69596 STUDENT-AT-TENNESSEE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 7 66551 HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 8 64909 GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 62026 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 10 52803 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 11 50073 FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 12 47118 EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition) 13 44739 UICNEWS@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 14 44620 ESCRIU-ME@LISTSERV.UV.ES (Linux 2.6.32-5-xen-686) 15 44053 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 16 37250 CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 17 36930 SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 18 35744 FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 19 35468 WORLDWIDEWORDS@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default) 20 34584 TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2003)