![[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 4108293 SMTP1.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2944516 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1175271 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 955204 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 5 889276 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 583135 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 7 573428 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 8 488977 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 444797 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 435631 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 421107 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 364829 EMAIL.SUPERMARKETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 345534 MEMBERS.ALLADVANTAGE.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 304532 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 15 291219 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 290816 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 288230 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 280912 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 262799 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 20 242947 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4947517 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4125969 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3496087 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 3220601 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 3067164 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1723097 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1683696 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1308340 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1227908 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 810290 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 509584 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 13 447010 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 431471 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 418182 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 349499 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 17 347070 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 303928 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 19 296567 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 243849 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 9921 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 3331 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 2988 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 2582 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 2503 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2394 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 7 2357 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 8 2260 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 2231 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 1927 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 1756 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2) 12 1597 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Solaris 2.6) 13 1596 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f) 14 1591 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 15 1565 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 1561 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1517 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 18 1514 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 1505 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 20 1463 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1175271 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 951882 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 3 921404 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 892494 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 742117 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 656149 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 579059 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 8 574458 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 541350 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 412909 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 357012 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 341268 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 331860 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 327857 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 15 315272 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36) 16 309392 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 17 292916 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 18 243652 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.14) 19 242949 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 20 230398 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 542671 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 249398 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 228641 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 217715 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 150065 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 148138 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 130124 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 129440 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 127644 SECURITYUPDATE@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 121492 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 117633 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 110115 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 99180 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 98860 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 94174 SSA_ENEWS@WWW.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 18 83706 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 76207 THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 70611 SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
