[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – October 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 (OCT13, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     881885  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     576572  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     533231  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  4     350455  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  5     349734  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  6     344434  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  7     321792  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     298344  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.6.1.el5)
  9     292882  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64)
 10     287169  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 11     286016  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 12     280174  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 13     264455  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 14     263103  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 15     247772  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 16     240213  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17     206802  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 18     193597  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.16.1.el5xen)
 19     190394  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.4.1.el5)
 20     189088  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Oct 2013)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3651403  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
  2     3632974  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     1470088  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  4     1373573  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  5     1359058  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.6.1.el5)
  6     1342029  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
  7     1271274  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  8     1207079  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
  9     1162771  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp)
 10     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.6.1.el5)
 11     1037345  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 12      961617  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13      957531  LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
 14      954986  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 15      893151  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.4.1.el5)
 16      812081  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 17      752489  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)
 18      751295  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.16.1.el5xen)
 19      748502  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 20      734305  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.26-0.7-default)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Oct 2013)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 53309  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 33839  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3 24720  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
  4 11739  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp)
  5 10655  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 2.6.18-348.6.1.el5)
  8  8352  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)
  9  8328  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
 10  6920  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
 11  6799  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 12  6516  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  6489  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 14  5768  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
 15  5726  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 16  4789  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 17  4146  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 18  3785  LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.10)
 19  3734  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.4.1.el5)
 20  3037  YORKU.CA (Linux 2.6.32-44-generic)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (OCT13, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     860180  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     571620  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     518767  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  4     346405  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  5     337905  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  6     331042  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  7     318550  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     292946  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.6.1.el5)
  9     292095  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64)
 10     283258  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.58-0.6.2-default)
 11     278106  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 12     263730  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 13     255964  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 14     248687  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 15     248600  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 16     238897  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17     203551  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 18     188864  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.4.1.el5)
 19     184558  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 20     184273  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (SunOS 5.10)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Oct 2013)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      262530  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
  2      111276  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       66551  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  7       63188  GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8       62026  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  9       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       50072  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 11       48164  ESCRIU-ME@LISTSERV.UV.ES (Linux 2.6.32-5-xen-686)
 12       46921  EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 13       44053  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 14       38504  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 15       37250  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 16       36893  SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 17       36490  WORLDWIDEWORDS@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG (Linux 3.0.80-0.7-default)
 18       35744  FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 19       35229  ECF-EDNY@NYED.USCOURTS.GOV (Linux 2.6.32-358.14.1.el6.x86_64)
 20       35208  ASMSU@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)