[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – May 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 (MAY03, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    5434427  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    2224958  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    1667549  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     715689  BART.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     681846  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     582492  RLY1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     530633  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  8     481571  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     471071  MAILER01.JEWELCLAIMCENTER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     469355  MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     424619  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     424495  LISTSERV.SLINGO.COM (Linux 2.4.18-3)
 13     376820  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     330789  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 15     326202  LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     297672  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     266627  MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     261633  JAGGEDMAIL.JAGGEDMIND.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     254053  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 20     247113  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 May 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     2618067  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  4     2574211  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1456049  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     1102596  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     1034117  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      891631  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 10      838832  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12      685775  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 13      663802  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
 14      584117  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 15      575570  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 16      546876  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3)
 17      489694  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 18      489112  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19      474100  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 20      473345  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

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

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 11594  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  2  9353  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  3  5454  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  4  5028  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5  4954  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-13.8smp)
  6  4333  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7  4198  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  8  4034  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  9  3837  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 10  3607  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11  3503  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 12  3453  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13  3403  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 14  3213  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 15  2653  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 16  2454  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
 17  2285  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18  2098  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp)
 19  2095  LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp)
 20  1860  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAY03, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     971851  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     673266  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     530658  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  4     518362  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     476221  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     469599  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     424495  LISTSERV.SLINGO.COM (Linux 2.4.18-3)
  8     358195  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  9     310026  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 10     285387  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 11     277679  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.20)
 12     264847  MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     258635  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     257216  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 15     239428  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     233244  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     228801  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 18     215656  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.20)
 19     212028  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.8)
 20     207983  MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 May 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      253493  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  4      222483  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5      178297  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6      160395  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       83199  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14       80283  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 15       65161  THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16       62632  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 17       58007  PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18       56190  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19       54244  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 20       46346  GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)