[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – April 2013


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 (APR13, 1-21)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     782459  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     519864  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  3     508107  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  4     432686  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  5     395544  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  6     361491  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7     354592  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  8     342128  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  9     331979  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 10     325562  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 11     295437  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12     291890  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 13     283275  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 14     282133  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 15     232587  LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 16     214032  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 17     206136  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.3.1.el5xen)
 18     197051  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 19     196289  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 20     189694  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (21 Apr 2013)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3894355  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  2     3523016  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     1388284  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  4     1340768  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  5     1239415  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  6     1214968  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
  7     1201631  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.13.1.el5)
  8     1174232  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
  9     1168814  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp)
 10     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 11     1004757  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 12      981077  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13      914985  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 14      912761  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 15      904832  LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
 16      852516  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 17      834891  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.el5)
 18      773383  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 19      751295  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.3.1.el5xen)
 20      730390  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (21 Apr 2013)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 39452  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 32105  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3 27154  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  4 12639  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp)
  5 12566  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  6  9788  LISTS.CLEMSON.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-164.11.1.el5)
  7  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
  8  8252  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
  9  8000  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)
 10  6756  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
 11  6678  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12  6606  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 13  6380  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 14  5572  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 15  5538  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
 16  4715  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 17  4354  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 18  4035  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 19  3923  LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.10)
 20  3675  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (APR13, 1-21)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     762234  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     505417  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  3     502658  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  4     415794  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  5     384169  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  6     356799  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7     344427  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  8     338595  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  9     326149  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 10     322749  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 11     293701  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12     279917  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 13     272996  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 14     258683  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 15     231881  LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 16     211222  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 17     194283  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.3.1.el5xen)
 18     193969  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 19     190706  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 20     188180  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (21 Apr 2013)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      254650  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
  2      103342  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       69349  STUDENT-AT-TENNESSEE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7       66551  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       62026  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  9       61266  GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 11       50073  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12       47069  EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 13       44549  ESCRIU-ME@LISTSERV.UV.ES (Linux 2.6.32-5-xen-686)
 14       44232  UICNEWS@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 15       44053  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 16       41105  MOBCOMNEWSLETTER-L@DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.10)
 17       37250  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 18       36925  SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 19       36165  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 20       35979  WORLDWIDEWORDS@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.6-default)