![[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]](/images/HDR-LISTSERV-sm.gif)
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).
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).
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 7235641 ACCEL.FAXTORS.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 6422155 ACCEL.INTERFAC.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 6028141 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 6012196 HAWAII.VIRTUAL3.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2275405 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2201030 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1848539 BART.VALOFFERS.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1439727 CARL.VALOFFERS.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1421711 LISTSERV.MYNASTY.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1194544 MAILDELIVERY.GRRLSPOT.COM (Windows XP Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 943797 LISTSERV.BIGTIMEVALUES.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 805442 ALPHA.MX10.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 781107 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 517333 LISTMAIL.TEMPLE.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 503337 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 16 502279 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 484864 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 431969 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 426275 CNNIMAIL23.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 422411 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
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 2086722 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 4 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2006536 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1660877 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1362044 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 8 1034153 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 993167 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 10 817638 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 11 788226 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 732958 LISTSERV.UNITEDWAY.ORG (Windows NT 4.0) 13 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 554954 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 15 535200 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 16 516558 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 17 490600 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 485373 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 473345 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 461722 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 9508 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 5728 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 3 5020 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 4 4590 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 4144 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 6 3940 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 3842 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 3745 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 9 3713 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 3352 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 3261 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 3140 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 2884 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 14 2463 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 15 2341 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.9-31) 16 2339 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 17 2307 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 18 2266 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 2075 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 20 2065 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 944519 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 771478 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 529302 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 516678 LISTMAIL.TEMPLE.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 515755 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 503359 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 487644 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 484759 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 347943 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 311047 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11) 11 304190 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 300254 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 13 284212 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 268930 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 252645 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.18) 16 218891 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 17 211005 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 18 201935 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 19 198053 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 20 195399 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 469234 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 153963 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 7 142542 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 132674 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 124853 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 83159 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 58094 PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 58054 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 18 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 50453 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 20 49633 GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
