[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – March 1999


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 (MAR99, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3867940  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     983620  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     778045  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     755708  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     687671  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     537916  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     530103  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  8     485164  SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9     404939  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 10     355091  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11     336034  LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1-1H2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     308382  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36)
 13     288979  DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     286266  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     262616  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
 16     260276  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17     238396  LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     234060  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19     232120  STOCKPLAYER.COM (???)
 20     229592  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Mar 1999)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     6130743  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     4952679  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     3226115  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     3130331  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     2048229  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1432746  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      655141  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  8      610660  MM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      603982  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 10      476000  LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11      462042  LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12      457099  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13      401757  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      334215  MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)
 15      269775  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16      249806  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 17      225971  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18      199991  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2)
 19      199424  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 20      161987  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Mar 1999)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  7533  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  2  4797  LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3  2735  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  4  2267  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  5  2210  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  6  1800  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7  1696  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8  1684  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
  9  1598  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10  1309  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11  1217  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12  1177  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 13  1156  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14  1141  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15  1098  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 16  1086  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 17  1054  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 18   958  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19   946  VM.SC.EDU (VM/ESA 2.3.0)
 20   893  HERMES.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAR99, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1177745  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2    1007223  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     993749  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     991278  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     696332  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     695484  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     626192  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  8     512100  MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
  9     429120  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 10     423927  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11     396817  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36)
 12     335648  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     318912  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
 14     313742  DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     305442  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     297256  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     284565  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 18     271915  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19     227338  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     200693  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Mar 1999)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      231379  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2      227927  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3      172449  JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4      163810  DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5      124544  DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6       96307  SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7       95792  DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8       94797  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9       94537  SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10       91636  MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11       86508  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
 12       84990  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13       72928  BVDAILYNOTE@MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)
 14       71466  BVNEWSLETTER@MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)
 15       68718  NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16       66652  ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17       60855  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18       60492  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19       56324  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       50464  MONEYDAILY@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)