![[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]](https://www.lsoft.com/images/HDR-LISTSERV-sm.gif)
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).
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).
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 3299737 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 921080 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 760519 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 611222 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 5 546477 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 508802 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 487362 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 8 430460 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 425794 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 423666 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 420645 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 364735 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 350108 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 319007 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 307318 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 16 295632 SDEM1.SURPLUSDIRECT.COM (???) 17 257507 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 251165 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 19 228773 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 215617 LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3142863 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 2801453 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 2099108 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 4 1554787 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 795326 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 463620 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 366802 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 226430 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a) 9 215932 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 192078 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 191591 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 171406 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 13 150596 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 14 134537 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 15 133995 SERVICES.WEB.AOL.COM (Solaris 2.4) 16 119893 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 17 115178 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 18 108841 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 104793 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 102473 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 3820 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 2306 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 3 1590 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 4 1511 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 1433 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 6 1424 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1324 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1214 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 9 1085 TC.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.4) 10 1079 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 11 985 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 12 869 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 860 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 821 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 792 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 759 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 746 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 18 729 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5) 19 688 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 680 VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1035145 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 949745 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 921080 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 708881 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 627072 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 6 625409 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 597199 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 8 571889 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 9 522960 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 478514 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 459138 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 12 426875 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 410916 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 357491 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 15 303258 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 300434 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 17 295632 SDEM1.SURPLUSDIRECT.COM (???) 18 272377 CUNYVM (VM/ESA 2.3.0) 19 252119 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.32) 20 248632 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 254205 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 95099 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 74993 ANSWERMAN@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 4 68285 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 5 62751 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 61016 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 60325 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 8 50261 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 9 42844 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 10 35860 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 11 33072 SAGEONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 12 32655 NEW-KEYWORDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 13 32126 UCSMON@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 31921 CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 15 31754 SCOUT-REPORT@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET (Solaris 2.5.1) 16 28225 ATHLETE_DIRECT@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 17 26983 SCOUT-REPORT@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 26402 AHHPULSE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a) 19 26261 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 25091 NETGUIDENOW-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
