[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – January 2014


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 (JAN14, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     918768  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     479542  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     460341  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  4     394648  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  5     350626  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  6     346465  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7     330292  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  8     314191  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.16.1.el5)
  9     288460  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 10     279279  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 11     250377  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 12     242989  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64)
 13     237523  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 14     234645  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.93-0.5-default)
 15     214224  PO.MISSOURI.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-371.3.1.el5PAE)
 16     201960  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17     201008  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 18     199163  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 19     175831  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-371.1.2.el5xen)
 20     170106  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.82-0.7-default)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Jan 2014)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3789648  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
  2     3525218  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     1551947  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  4     1488616  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  5     1377359  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.6.1.el5)
  6     1343276  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
  7     1286184  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  8     1212493  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp)
  9     1207079  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
 10     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.16.1.el5)
 11      991507  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.93-0.5-default)
 12      971408  LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
 13      943052  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 14      915625  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 15      892592  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.4.1.el5)
 16      857583  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 17      819720  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 18      751295  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-371.1.2.el5xen)
 19      742400  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 20      730095  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Jan 2014)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 65769  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 32428  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3 24879  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
  4 13092  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
  5 12498  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-103.ELsmp)
  6 11036  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  7  9788  LISTS.CLEMSON.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-164.11.1.el5)
  8  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.16.1.el5)
  9  8552  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-308.el5)
 10  8328  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
 11  6971  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
 12  6428  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  6132  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 14  6097  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.93-0.5-default)
 15  5869  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
 16  5765  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 17  4837  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 18  4176  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 19  3812  LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.10)
 20  3767  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.4.1.el5)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (JAN14, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     897823  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     474428  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     448536  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  4     385414  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  5     342009  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  6     340601  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-308.16.1.el5)
  7     309584  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  8     309353  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-348.16.1.el5)
  9     285246  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 10     250593  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 11     242879  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 12     242385  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64)
 13     236930  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 14     231801  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.93-0.5-default)
 15     213654  PO.MISSOURI.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-371.3.1.el5PAE)
 16     201548  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-348.1.1.el5)
 17     200485  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 18     193809  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 19     164423  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.82-0.7-default)
 20     160949  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-371.1.2.el5xen)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Jan 2014)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      267510  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
  2      110669  COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64)
  3       86994  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       74965  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  5       72327  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       66551  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  7       63155  EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  8       62026  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  9       60687  GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 11       50072  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12       47833  ESCRIU-ME@LISTSERV.UV.ES (Linux 2.6.32-5-xen-686)
 13       44053  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 14       37250  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 15       36709  WORLDWIDEWORDS@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG (Linux 3.0.93-0.8-default)
 16       35997  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 17       35744  FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 18       35229  ECF-EDNY@NYED.USCOURTS.GOV (Linux 2.6.32-358.14.1.el6.x86_64)
 19       35178  ASMSU@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34-0.7-default)
 20       34586  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2003)