[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – October 2002


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 (OCT02, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    5401649  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    5367852  ALASKA.VIRTUAL0.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    4155464  HAWAII.VIRTUAL3.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4    2622599  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5    2419026  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6    2334707  LISTSERV.MYNASTY.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7    2168594  BART.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8    1823812  ARIES.MTA0.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9    1700691  CARL.VALOFFERS.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10    1593729  VELA.MTA0.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     763114  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     751361  ALPHA.MX10.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     507159  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     499785  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
 15     464319  JAGGEDMAIL.JAGGEDMIND.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     461048  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17     455136  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     437085  EPLINGMAIL1.ZAPITNOW.NET (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     418423  LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     412632  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Oct 2002)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     6445542  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     3067161  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     2641254  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     2082319  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  5     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     2013746  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     1703274  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     1323525  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
  9     1034155  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      987311  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 11      807586  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 12      785161  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 13      732838  LISTSERV.UNITEDWAY.ORG (Windows NT 4.0)
 14      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15      533540  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3)
 16      530893  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 17      515748  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18      475226  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 19      473467  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      473345  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Oct 2002)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  9459  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2  5584  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  3  5009  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  4  4541  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5  4105  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  6  3874  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7  3806  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  8  3710  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  9  3658  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10  3299  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11  3231  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 12  3168  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13  2821  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 14  2435  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 15  2318  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.9-31)
 16  2308  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
 17  2294  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 18  2230  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19  2062  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp)
 20  2053  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (OCT02, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1044693  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     752230  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     566840  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     529152  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     499807  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  6     495114  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     457797  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     384389  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  9     363675  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (???)
 10     346094  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 11     332342  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 12     312690  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11)
 13     310575  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     293126  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     241199  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.18)
 16     231864  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 17     216409  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 18     214722  JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8)
 19     210074  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 20     208902  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.7 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Oct 2002)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      457477  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      282485  GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      222483  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4      197224  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7)
  5      178297  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6      153947  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  7      142542  CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      132672  VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      124847  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      116874  WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11      111227  BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12      106909  OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13       84803  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14       83153  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15       65161  THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16       58097  PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17       57400  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 18       56190  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19       50266  GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20       49985  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)