[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – March 2015


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 (MAR15, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     872150  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     531253  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     353968  NEWSMAIL.WYANOKEGROUP.COM (Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
  4     348712  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  5     336937  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  6     325596  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
  7     321368  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  8     315711  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  9     312166  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 10     290788  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 11     273675  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 12     272987  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 13     253669  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-504.8.1.el6.x86_64)
 14     252397  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 15     230057  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 16     217876  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 17     217059  DISCUSSIONS.EQ.EDU.AU (Linux 2.6.18-371.9.1.el5)
 18     201734  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9)
 19     194300  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 20     193998  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Mar 2015)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     4374941  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  2     3665497  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  3     1613328  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  4     1560918  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
  5     1523141  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  6     1449584  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9)
  7     1375117  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  8     1320504  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9)
  9     1207079  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18)
 10     1133148  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 11     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 12     1023714  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 13     1009073  LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34)
 14      931391  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 15      880619  LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 16      846791  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 17      801750  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.82)
 18      751295  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 19      749418  LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 20      726725  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Mar 2015)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 54494  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 34614  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3 25154  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  4 12496  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9)
  5 12163  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9)
  6  9788  LISTS.CLEMSON.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
  7  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
  8  8328  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18)
  9  7236  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 10  6589  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 11  6424  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 12  6225  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  5920  LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 14  5854  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 15  5800  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18)
 16  5007  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 17  4304  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 18  3967  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 19  3844  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 20  3309  YORKU.CA (Linux 2.6.32)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAR15, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     848942  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     526287  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3     342209  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  4     332134  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  5     324991  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
  6     318837  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  7     312345  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     304632  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  9     269043  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 10     253064  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-504.8.1.el6.x86_64)
 11     250099  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 12     248892  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 13     244071  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 14     223437  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 15     217651  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 16     216898  DISCUSSIONS.EQ.EDU.AU (Linux 2.6.18-371.9.1.el5)
 17     198649  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9)
 18     192575  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 19     189142  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Linux 2.6.32-504.3.3.el6.x86_64)
 20     185476  LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-504.3.3.el6.x86_64)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Mar 2015)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      291334  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34)
  2      109672  COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  3       86994  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       81320  CAREERCENTERUPDATE@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  5       74965  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       72327  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  7       66551  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       62953  EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  9       62026  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       59595  GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 12       50127  ESCRIU-ME@LISTSERV.UV.ES (Linux 2.6.32)
 13       44053  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 14       40419  OPSWNEWS@LISTSERV.NYSED.GOV (AIX 7.1)
 15       37250  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 16       36668  WORLDWIDEWORDS@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG (Linux 3.0.101)
 17       35971  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 18       35744  FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 19       34586  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 20       33892  ASMSU@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34)