[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – May 2012


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 (MAY12, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     886932  XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-308.1.1.el5xen)
  2     428525  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  3     397609  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  4     389289  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  5     374103  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  6     290523  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
  7     280828  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  8     262037  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  9     232931  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 10     222061  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 11     219182  DISCUSSIONS.EQ.EDU.AU (Linux 2.6.18-164.el5)
 12     213681  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 13     207127  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5)
 14     206950  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 15     202101  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 16     191802  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17     185839  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 18     169024  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)
 19     162055  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 20     161339  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 May 2012)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3442089  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  2     3234496  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5)
  3     1248651  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  4     1219819  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
  5     1207673  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  6     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  7     1155612  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     1123764  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.29.ELsmp)
  9     1098389  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
 10     1072732  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 11     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 12      939180  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13      889005  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 14      871299  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
 15      822623  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 16      808924  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 17      799988  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18      798311  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.33.1.ELsmp)
 19      787548  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 20      766998  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 May 2012)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 32651  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 29971  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3 23134  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5)
  4 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  5 12442  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.29.ELsmp)
  6 11386  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  7  9702  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
  8  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  9  7646  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-238.1.1.el5)
 10  6579  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 11  6474  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 12  6035  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 13  6027  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 14  5890  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 15  5839  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 16  4876  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 17  4875  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
 18  4409  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 19  4026  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 20  3910  LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAY12, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     416158  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  2     392723  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     378755  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  4     351860  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  5     284568  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
  6     276592  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7     253349  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  8     229773  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  9     219055  DISCUSSIONS.EQ.EDU.AU (Linux 2.6.18-164.el5)
 10     211825  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 11     207379  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5)
 12     201994  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 13     201333  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 14     195217  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 15     190590  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 16     181614  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 17     157737  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 18     156748  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)
 19     156378  MAIL.NACBA.ORG (Linux 2.6.26-2-amd64)
 20     154477  LIST.UVM.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.9.ELsmp)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 May 2012)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      239052  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.27.54-0.2-default)
  2       86994  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  3       74965  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       72327  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  5       66551  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       62411  GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7       62026  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       53177  COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
  9       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       51630  UICNEWS@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 11       50076  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12       44053  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 13       43522  STUDENT-AT-TENNESSEE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 14       37250  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 15       36938  SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 16       36636  EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 17       36452  DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 18       35744  FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 19       34652  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 20       34584  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2003)