![[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 3427922 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 741978 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 701838 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 697998 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 609985 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 470607 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 462552 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (???) 8 441523 LISTMANAGER.IVILLAGE.COM (???) 9 415928 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 375870 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 11 348987 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 339682 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 13 328195 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 303654 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 277321 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1-1H2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 269095 JAVA.SUN.COM (???) 17 257324 LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 4.2) 18 251180 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 250705 AMERICAN.EDU (???) 20 242716 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 7377236 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4953234 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3647575 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2588212 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2335308 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1782184 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1771770 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1076380 LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 704733 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 646882 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 11 610654 MM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 589931 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 582147 EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 14 515482 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 324051 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 282933 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 17 279357 MEMBERS.ALLADVANTAGE.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 260481 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 246841 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 224288 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.7-1.15)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 8085 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 4983 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3010 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 4 2585 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 5 2526 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 2055 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1956 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1879 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 9 1690 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 1423 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 1352 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 1315 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 1297 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 14 1271 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 1160 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1) 16 1159 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1076 HERMES.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 18 1039 LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 1029 VM.SC.EDU (VM/ESA 2.3.0) 20 1029 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 954159 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 914551 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 855923 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 782451 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 702375 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 610275 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 467468 LISTMANAGER.IVILLAGE.COM (???) 8 461500 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (???) 9 444281 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 412695 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 407408 MITVMA (???) 12 407172 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2.0) 13 403684 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 358991 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 15 307573 AMERICAN.EDU (???) 16 300821 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 300224 JAVA.SUN.COM (???) 18 297136 LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 286268 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 280067 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 307945 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 271600 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 3 223792 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 204490 VALUE-MAIL@LISTS.EMAILDIRECT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 181530 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 133252 BVTESTLIST@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 7 126593 BVNEWSLETTER@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 119392 GARTNERGROUP_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 118652 JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 114281 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 113844 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 108121 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 105142 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 98556 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 97611 SCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 94388 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 84372 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 72951 BVDAILYNOTE@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 19 68783 NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 66725 ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
