![[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 3361683 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1102762 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 813140 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 590357 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 573250 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 570084 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 453691 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 451022 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 9 413012 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 10 404297 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 348324 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 311333 LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 302790 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 299560 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 297387 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 16 265641 LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 253830 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 243843 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.32) 19 241716 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 238422 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3384821 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 3159303 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 2260496 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 1578427 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 1078611 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 748610 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 463865 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 393539 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 380830 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 214268 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a) 11 203400 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 199983 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 193375 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 14 154579 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 15 138495 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 16 126643 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 17 125813 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2) 18 119970 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 19 113309 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 20 105365 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 3832 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 2271 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 3 1657 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 4 1569 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 1469 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 6 1427 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1378 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 1367 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 1153 TC.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.4) 10 1104 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 11 1066 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 901 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 852 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 810 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 784 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 768 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 17 750 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5) 18 749 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 729 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 711 VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1102762 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 1035002 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 1031246 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 740856 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 720818 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 599124 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 7 577752 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 530940 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 9 501747 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 442813 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 393671 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 363918 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 349725 LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 344875 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a) 15 321659 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.32) 16 295099 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 290539 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 18 278341 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 257447 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 245475 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 269202 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 95017 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 71219 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 68391 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 68139 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 63145 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 50884 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 39328 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 38772 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 32852 NEW-KEYWORDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 31754 SAGEONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 31754 SCOUT-REPORT@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET (Solaris 2.5.1) 13 31139 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 31137 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 30173 CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 27063 AHHPULSE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 27048 SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 26986 UCSMON@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 26972 WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 26947 SCOUT-REPORT@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
