[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – March 2006


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 (MAR06, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     694065  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     562177  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     468797  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     458730  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  5     413607  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp)
  6     392058  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     376521  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
  8     359695  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     351603  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 10     347072  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11     340832  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     292886  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     269674  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8)
 14     268530  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 15     253539  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     244954  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     240770  LISTES.LEMONDE.FR (SunOS 5.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     215737  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp)
 19     211930  LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     201946  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Mar 2006)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3779194  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  2     2201641  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp)
  3     1953058  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  4     1229240  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1031723  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7      985568  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      984999  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      953033  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      840864  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0)
 11      839657  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp)
 12      806732  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 13      776386  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15      689608  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 16      681525  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 17      651557  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
 18      645790  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 19      613031  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      550113  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Mar 2006)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 46935  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2 22466  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3 20034  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp)
  4 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  5  9939  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  6  8949  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
  7  5859  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
  8  5808  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9)
  9  5732  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 10  5342  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11  4699  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 12  4487  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp)
 13  4368  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 14  4261  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 15  4154  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16  4123  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17  3917  MARIST (VM/SP 1.0)
 18  3799  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 19  3765  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20  2865  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAR06, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     676394  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     461799  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  3     402338  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp)
  4     370240  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
  5     366024  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     351749  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  7     348204  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     343958  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     339004  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10     322724  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     271611  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 12     262333  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8)
 13     251182  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     240770  LISTES.LEMONDE.FR (SunOS 5.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     238859  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     211930  LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     211419  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp)
 18     192254  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 19     188180  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
 20     187133  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Mar 2006)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      371596  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      122843  POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9)
  3      111485  SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4       92897  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.5-7.252-smp)
  5       81733  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
  6       77636  FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7       73667  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
  8       67091  FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9       65259  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 10       63928  CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-31.9smp)
 11       55020  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
 12       52816  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 13       51745  ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9)
 14       43816  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 15       42577  ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 16       41484  QCIINT@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17       36446  L-SMEALZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18       34132  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 19       34021  L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 20       31649  JAGNEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)