![[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 3401206 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1555908 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 702778 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 686935 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 679039 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 614478 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 465286 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 441454 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 9 428911 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 352864 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 349413 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 349036 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 294478 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 290257 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 15 255993 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 247483 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 231259 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1) 18 226066 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 19 216038 LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 212137 DIST.LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4737150 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 4668991 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2808996 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 2670114 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 1941495 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 1059414 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 498257 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 457605 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 402018 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 370529 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 287355 LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 222845 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 213193 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 14 209886 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 177738 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 171518 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2) 17 155420 LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2) 18 153295 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 135700 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 20 129100 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 7124 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 4707 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 2432 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 4 2069 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 5 1978 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 6 1791 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 7 1625 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1522 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 1280 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 1108 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 1060 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 12 1058 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 1023 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 970 UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 908 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 16 898 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4) 17 885 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 879 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 19 871 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2) 20 862 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1555908 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 899795 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 880076 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 833104 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 814147 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 710078 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 592557 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 533095 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 9 518927 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 10 408712 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 378014 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34) 12 375416 ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 367673 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 14 298245 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 294099 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 283625 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 281176 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1) 18 280284 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4) 19 212394 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 194098 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 264576 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 192311 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 148051 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 131755 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 98375 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 94734 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 90443 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 84949 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 79078 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 74335 INTERNET-WORLD-CIRCULATION@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 68607 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 66507 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 63983 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 61511 DATAMATION-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 51906 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 47613 WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 44573 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 42174 SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 38881 SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 38389 MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
