![[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 3204772 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 1279546 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 695878 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 609552 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 597695 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 562483 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 436935 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 395702 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 340364 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 317788 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 312974 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 306348 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 13 301696 LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 275817 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 240442 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 231081 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 219843 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 198822 LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 194684 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 183082 LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4090624 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3912388 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 2678041 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 1861386 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 1827254 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 872251 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 457828 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 400118 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 288707 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 261081 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 210850 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a) 12 203939 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 188613 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 14 167332 LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 155197 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 16 145750 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2) 17 125170 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 18 121040 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 19 113463 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 110300 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 1965 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 2 1762 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 3 1689 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 4 1515 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 5 1461 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 1423 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1413 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 1133 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 1102 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 951 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 11 898 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 828 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 815 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 14 785 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5) 15 773 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 756 VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 17 752 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 18 743 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 19 738 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 697 VM.SC.EDU (VM/ESA 2)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1279547 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 945769 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 888089 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 775508 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 685775 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 614733 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 579485 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 8 550528 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 402483 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 400105 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 11 342610 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 341720 LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 338751 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 14 281137 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 278076 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 252201 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 240854 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 18 228545 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 213101 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 188940 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 280923 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 158995 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 129140 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 94883 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 87614 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 79961 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 68509 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 66052 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 65593 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 53182 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 51563 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 39658 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 38835 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 38050 WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 36891 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 34661 UCSMON@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 34542 CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 33891 SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 32909 NEW-KEYWORDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 31867 PC-WEBOPAEDIA-NEWS@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
