[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – November 2010


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 (NOV10, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     731754  XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-194.3.1.el5xen)
  2     455166  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     440794  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.24-etchnhalf.1-686-bigmem)
  4     423676  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  5     390857  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
  6     355500  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  7     247827  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  8     236496  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
  9     235331  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 10     225634  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
 11     225547  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 12     220011  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13     219072  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 14     218962  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 15     201204  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16     191161  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition)
 17     184871  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18     175044  NERDALERT.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-92.1.22.el5)
 19     173689  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 20     168573  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Nov 2010)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     2493067  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  2     2416042  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
  3     1293964  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
  4     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  5     1168992  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  6     1144772  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  7     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  8      990956  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0)
  9      978644  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 10      958681  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 11      940835  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp)
 12      922114  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 13      915211  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.4.el5)
 14      850737  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15      842353  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16      840738  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 17      832567  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 18      777364  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 19      749758  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
 20      720268  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Nov 2010)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 40917  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 27701  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3 20542  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
  4 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  5 11279  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp)
  6  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  7  8918  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  8  8880  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.4.el5)
  9  7108  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-164.6.1.el5)
 10  6192  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 11  6002  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 12  5921  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  5878  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 14  5645  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15  5337  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16  5044  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
 17  4619  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 18  4205  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 19  4083  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 20  3911  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (NOV10, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     449150  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  2     428746  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.24-etchnhalf.1-686-bigmem)
  3     404539  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  4     375134  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.28.ELsmp)
  5     345857  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  6     243281  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7     233963  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
  8     228014  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  9     226077  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-194.17.1.el5)
 10     222259  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 11     219083  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12     215758  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 13     196690  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 14     190710  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 15     182318  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16     175076  NERDALERT.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-92.1.22.el5)
 17     171065  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 18     166395  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition)
 19     162635  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 20     161308  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Nov 2010)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      207395  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.27.48-0.1-default)
  2      117263  PRESIDENT@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  3       76761  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       73551  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  5       66001  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       65775  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  7       63736  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       55806  ASMSU@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.27.48-0.1-default)
  9       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       49244  COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 11       49019  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 12       44632  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 13       43044  EPLUS@VM1.HQADMIN.DOE.GOV (VM/SP 3.0)
 14       40514  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15       39521  JAGNEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 16       38921  STUDENT-AT-TENNESSEE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17       37738  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 18       37528  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 19       36947  SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 20       36734  EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)