![[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 3336266 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 760307 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 652015 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 602837 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 488936 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 473231 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (???) 7 407779 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 390762 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 9 354237 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 343398 JAVA.SUN.COM (???) 11 319693 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 12 296150 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 260414 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1-1H2 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 253865 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.12) 15 233770 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 223024 NEWSHOST.NYTIMES.COM (???) 17 208772 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 206073 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 205798 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 193739 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4546999 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3083568 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3057194 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2441966 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1952439 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1933251 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 1676151 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1413393 LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 750327 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 677932 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 11 658063 EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 656484 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 610652 MM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 569277 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 379457 LISTS.EMAILDIRECT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 329985 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 17 307313 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2) 18 286325 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 19 260754 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 254243 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.7-1.15)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 8173 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 4989 LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3223 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 4 2678 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 5 2520 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 2105 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 2023 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 1789 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 9 1753 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 1521 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 1365 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 12 1362 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 1355 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 14 1319 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 1297 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 1243 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1185 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 18 1144 HERMES.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 1121 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 20 1100 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1000012 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 2 861390 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 783040 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 762405 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 640165 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 471473 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (???) 7 462122 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 415728 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 380899 JAVA.SUN.COM (???) 10 367816 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 11 361879 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 335233 LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2) 13 310392 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.12) 14 278264 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 238379 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 235968 LISTSERVER.DIGITALRIVER.COM (???) 17 227737 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 226951 NEWSHOST.NYTIMES.COM (???) 19 223042 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 20 220007 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 714489 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 378288 VALUE-MAIL@LISTS.EMAILDIRECT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 356209 DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 345540 DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 222439 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 178310 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 159870 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 143715 GARTNERGROUP_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 133259 BVTESTLIST@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 126612 BVNEWSLETTER@EMAIL-SERVER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 124079 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 123975 SECURITYUPDATE@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 121977 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 14 119721 JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 117301 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 115290 SCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 115010 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 104771 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 94551 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 83870 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
