![[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 3308961 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 1270710 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 756818 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 654935 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 637651 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 618059 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 440031 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 417677 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 405688 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 352687 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 296154 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 275503 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 264179 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 262544 LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 255455 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 238271 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 234546 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 18 232415 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 213874 LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 211051 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4207768 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 3424172 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2623961 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 1747333 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 1699966 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 1114655 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 463749 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 400532 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 298771 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 251800 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 210782 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a) 12 203641 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 190963 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 14 164562 LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 154905 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 16 142302 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2) 17 123278 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 18 121093 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 19 113480 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 103791 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 2531 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 1942 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 3 1700 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 4 1489 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 5 1451 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 1401 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1376 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 1126 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 1077 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 933 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 11 902 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 818 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 802 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 14 777 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 770 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5) 16 745 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 17 744 VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 18 737 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 720 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 20 688 ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1270710 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 999122 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 966244 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 803246 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 798137 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 644736 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 585721 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 8 550927 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 478373 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 379531 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 324751 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 307705 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 13 300749 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 300080 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 295819 LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 286872 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 256410 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 229326 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 218159 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 210842 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 278279 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 129098 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 94894 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 90095 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 78002 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 68474 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 67127 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 64994 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 51078 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 39012 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 38818 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 35115 WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 35005 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 34421 CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 33835 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 32894 NEW-KEYWORDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 31754 SCOUT-REPORT@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET (Solaris 2.5.1) 18 31649 SAGEONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 31376 SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 30911 PC-WEBOPAEDIA-NEWS@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
