![[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 3296301 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1485830 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 671244 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 658785 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 611150 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 608701 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 441641 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 438513 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 411874 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 366332 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 304364 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 290898 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 282203 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 266344 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 15 242482 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 228831 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 199413 LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 199197 LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 198611 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1) 20 189123 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4788030 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 4334713 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 2763256 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 2652623 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 1931661 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 1029080 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 473023 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 457623 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 401870 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 352424 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 208614 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 206593 LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 201417 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 194237 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 15 172305 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 155428 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 17 154987 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2) 18 133482 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 19 127460 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 20 126911 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 6977 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 4703 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 2325 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 4 2090 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 5 1937 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 6 1729 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 7 1580 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1484 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 1280 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 1092 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 1025 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 12 1017 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 996 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 940 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 896 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 16 888 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 17 884 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 854 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 840 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 20 834 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1485830 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 870861 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 853797 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 806007 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 742542 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 666328 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 584053 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 8 554748 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 487390 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 387271 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 355882 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 346687 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 13 304458 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 278567 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 264278 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 241266 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1) 17 231246 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 227690 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 19 216234 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 208918 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 269053 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 180096 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 128576 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 117452 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 101050 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 94789 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 88185 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 84951 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 75027 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 68578 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 66414 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 65111 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 61746 DATAMATION-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 51675 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 44926 WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 42106 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 38865 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 38678 SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 37943 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 37281 PC-WEBOPAEDIA-NEWS@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
