![[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 3289139 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 999989 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 732757 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 673500 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 635195 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 448498 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 420173 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 403932 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 9 321305 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 10 316688 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2) 11 311557 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 12 308063 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 273105 LISTSERV1.NYTIMES.COM (???) 14 269257 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1-1H2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 244981 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 218180 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 215548 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1) 18 209695 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 206183 NEWSHOST.NYTIMES.COM (???) 20 204397 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 6530011 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4953428 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3398711 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2278504 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2272828 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1512839 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1370319 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 644924 LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 610658 MM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 581347 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 531052 MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1) 12 515414 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 456887 LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 401493 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 376295 LISTS.EMAILDIRECT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 309116 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 17 262113 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 249342 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 19 216485 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 193911 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 4799 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3075 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 3 2314 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2) 4 2271 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 5 2007 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 1842 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1737 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1658 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 9 1641 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 1354 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 1263 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 1210 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 1187 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 1132 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 15 1131 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 16 1124 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 17 932 HERMES.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 18 930 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 918 VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 20 914 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1165907 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 963876 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 869634 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 815679 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 681906 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 583737 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 479820 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 458684 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 9 398309 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 10 362432 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 343329 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 12 340425 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2) 13 273105 LISTSERV1.NYTIMES.COM (???) 14 269504 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 260870 H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1) 16 260492 NEWSHOST.NYTIMES.COM (???) 17 256160 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 255548 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 244039 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 241350 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 376293 VALUE-MAIL@LISTS.EMAILDIRECT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 226765 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 198943 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 196637 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 141989 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 133233 BVTESTLIST@MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1) 7 109074 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 108159 JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 104235 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 100210 SCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 96863 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 94457 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 94028 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 93774 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 91808 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 84967 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 72936 BVDAILYNOTE@MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1) 18 68737 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 66664 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 65531 BVNEWSLETTER@MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)
