![[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 3404676 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 920106 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 711087 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 707805 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 609438 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 504318 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 381439 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 354283 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 296864 NEWSHOST.NYTIMES.COM (???) 10 280539 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 11 265982 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 265579 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 249045 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1-1H2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 242432 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (???) 15 220109 LISTSERV.ALLOYONLINE.COM (???) 16 209131 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 196177 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 195623 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 182325 LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 170235 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 6968523 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4953338 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3589599 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2711458 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1730673 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1671075 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1412930 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 832143 LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 610655 MM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 595892 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 559841 EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 516688 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 393943 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 339768 MEMBERS.ALLADVANTAGE.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 301816 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 265506 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 249956 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 18 230047 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 220626 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 201867 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.0.35)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 4688 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 2380 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 2340 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 2119 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 1865 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 1762 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1670 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1648 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1638 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 10 1376 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 1305 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 1237 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 1198 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 1179 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 15 1176 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 16 1172 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 17 1051 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 978 HERMES.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 959 VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 20 957 LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1082343 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 945933 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 934086 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 775557 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 715199 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 660704 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 448166 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 446030 MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 9 378995 NEWSHOST.NYTIMES.COM (???) 10 331506 AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 4.2) 11 299900 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 12 292140 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 259568 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 241512 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (???) 15 233353 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 231520 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 220109 LISTSERV.ALLOYONLINE.COM (???) 18 220025 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 19 193084 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 191583 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 247992 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 228155 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 198243 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 192633 VALUE-MAIL@LISTS.EMAILDIRECT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 187702 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 133241 BVTESTLIST@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 7 126580 BVNEWSLETTER@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 112874 JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 105706 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 105287 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 104022 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 101596 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 94833 SCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 94390 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 92592 DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 85940 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 84602 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 72944 BVDAILYNOTE@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 19 68760 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 66702 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
