![[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 3749227 SMTP1.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2726288 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 911765 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 866716 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 700261 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 6 589654 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 541319 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 8 476711 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 464712 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 448617 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 390050 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 316253 EMAIL.SUPERMARKETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 262786 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 14 252856 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 250933 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 245690 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 17 228711 LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.2-1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 18 213668 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 19 199383 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.14) 20 193029 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4992870 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4070088 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3464951 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 3067168 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1722959 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1534620 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1490900 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1210838 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 492101 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 11 441871 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 434077 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 13 414060 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 14 397040 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 15 328923 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.7-1.15) 16 298304 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 17 296224 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 293922 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 245484 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 239271 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 3704 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 2873 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 3 2736 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 4 2625 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 2441 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2387 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 7 2309 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 8 2194 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1905 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1751 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 11 1545 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 12 1525 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 1498 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 14 1452 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 1448 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 1428 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1412 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 18 1376 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 1372 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Solaris 2.6) 20 1352 HERMES.CIRC.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 911765 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 871362 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 845119 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 762320 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 697484 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 6 635733 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 608293 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 550806 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 537261 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 10 390050 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 290697 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 282192 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 13 280038 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 14 257985 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 15 252692 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 16 246250 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.14) 17 226490 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 204954 DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 195223 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 172446 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 552316 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 237872 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 218153 GOODIES-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 217716 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 216653 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 174082 JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 162118 SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 160997 SCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 147621 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 133561 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 129606 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 128675 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 127652 SECURITYUPDATE@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 121329 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 119989 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 108381 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 96470 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 96212 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
