[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – November 1998


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 (NOV98, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3216176  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2    1052623  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     686596  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     639974  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     633143  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     631966  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     467211  SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8     444925  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     416089  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 10     363049  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 11     353858  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     328806  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     321910  LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     313069  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34)
 15     269514  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     223614  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17     217011  LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     211510  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
 19     202096  DIST.LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 20     200306  LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Nov 1998)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     5075502  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     4909414  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     2886271  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     2869132  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     1945702  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1063697  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      517806  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  8      457566  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9      402631  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      383304  LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11      304341  LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12      226325  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 13      222541  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14      211692  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15      179708  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 16      172997  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2)
 17      171864  LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18      157217  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19      155396  LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2)
 20      137851  MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Nov 1998)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 12914  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  2  4709  LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3  2491  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  4  2065  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  5  2015  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  6  1827  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
  7  1673  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8  1532  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9  1404  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10  1222  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11  1123  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12  1083  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 13  1049  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14   994  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15   931  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 16   930  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 17   902  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 18   901  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19   886  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 20   876  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (NOV98, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1052623  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     870686  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     830533  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     825262  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     819418  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     638101  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7     569076  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     508630  MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
  9     487758  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 10     406216  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34)
 11     386475  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 12     386081  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     374996  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     315247  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     275475  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 16     257488  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
 17     255384  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18     240799  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 19     217456  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20     191338  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Nov 1998)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      260150  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2      206865  SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3      168888  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4      125729  DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5      103411  DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6       94691  SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7       93501  DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8       84954  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9       80039  MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10       74349  INTERNET-WORLD-CIRCULATION@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11       71600  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)
 12       68637  NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13       66551  ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14       63527  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15       52624  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16       51829  DATAMATION-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17       49540  WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18       46517  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19       45972  SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       38820  MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)