[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – January 2003


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 (JAN03, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    5473576  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    2434044  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    1869078  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4    1469744  ACCEL.INTERFAC.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     822427  BART.VALOFFERS.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     652778  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     573322  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     551758  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  9     502328  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10     427375  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     423802  LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     391365  MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     382784  MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     344676  ALPHA.MX10.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     319536  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 16     280399  LISTSERV.CAMPBELLKITCHEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     268280  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 18     254445  JAGGEDMAIL.JAGGEDMIND.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     248301  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.22-6.2.2smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     245782  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Jan 2003)

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     2427653  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  4     2108413  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1519659  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     1411854  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     1065695  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  9     1034117  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      838011  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 11      816413  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 12      733031  LISTSERV.UNITEDWAY.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      575446  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 15      558346  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3)
 16      556103  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 17      503589  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18      489112  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)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Jan 2003)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 15600  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2  5753  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  3  5419  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.18-18.7.x)
  4  5356  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  5  4499  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  6  4024  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7  3952  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  8  3745  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  9  3695  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 10  3432  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11  3378  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 12  3248  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.22-6.2.2smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13  2977  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 14  2782  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 15  2526  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 16  2392  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
 17  2276  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18  2098  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp)
 19  2082  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 20  1750  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (JAN03, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1027919  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     643989  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     622255  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     560884  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     551784  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  6     547230  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     380623  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  8     329982  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  9     303482  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 10     288265  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11)
 11     275761  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     256354  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.18)
 13     252034  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.22-6.2.2smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     231742  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 15     226133  MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
 16     216895  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 17     212539  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.7 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     202762  MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     200591  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     199138  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Jan 2003)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      472934  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      153683  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  7      142542  CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      124855  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      116874  WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      111227  BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11      106909  OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12       84803  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13       84395  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 14       83173  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       59244  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 17       58030  PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18       56190  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19       51599  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 20       48224  GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)