![[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 4478768 SMTP1.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2467897 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1815495 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 953363 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 5 932781 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 852298 LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 692255 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 479446 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 409068 EMAIL.SUPERMARKETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 403865 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 375565 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 371490 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 347087 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 14 295742 SENDER.PMN00.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 277013 LISTSERV.OPTHOST.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 274157 SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 17 239890 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 235867 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 19 227324 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 20 224236 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5271806 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4858885 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 4418115 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2139479 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2032443 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1731186 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1326586 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1231920 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 587469 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 551247 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 13 523525 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 14 500021 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 15 461648 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 450915 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 17 435808 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 422578 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 357970 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 296889 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 14667 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 4163 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 3947 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 4 3254 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 5 2860 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 2670 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 2520 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 2519 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 9 2470 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1939 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 1851 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 12 1806 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Solaris 2.7) 13 1760 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 1736 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 15 1719 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 1702 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1636 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 18 1570 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 19 1535 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2) 20 1524 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1815496 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 949429 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 3 935603 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 880297 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 692248 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 605539 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 7 539121 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 482990 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 371490 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 342907 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 11 270290 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 263512 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 13 260939 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 260246 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 15 249584 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 244368 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16) 17 241111 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.14) 18 226788 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 211350 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 20 200973 LISTS.MSTAR.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 488161 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 296637 SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 280912 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 249963 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 233300 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 209166 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 196422 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 156214 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 135536 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 129349 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 127649 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 124192 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 111677 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 17 111279 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 105034 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 98270 STREAMING_MEDIA@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 88040 THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
