![[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 3211128 SMTP1.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3141572 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2078984 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1106508 CHEWBACCA1.YESMAIL.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 998130 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 6 993625 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 858533 LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 627479 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 578260 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 10 499585 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 440186 OPTMAILER.OPTHOST.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 436645 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 389387 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 350208 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 15 347708 SENDER.PMN00.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 337674 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 17 294828 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 18 275200 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 273997 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 263711 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5643023 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4865834 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 4572072 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2134585 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2066273 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 1733764 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1331773 LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1275985 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 810880 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 573569 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 13 515154 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 14 504925 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 15 470347 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 457222 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 17 444203 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 401338 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 354062 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 319982 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 8539 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 3791 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 3388 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 3247 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 5 2960 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 6 2842 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 7 2737 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 2555 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 2494 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 10 2490 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2) 11 1914 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 1874 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 1860 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 14 1776 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 15 1762 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 1690 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1657 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 18 1613 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 19 1565 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 20 1542 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 2078985 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1071484 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 994419 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 4 993909 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 796988 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 662790 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 573534 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 8 554796 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 389387 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 368059 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 11 357550 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 12 344124 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 342277 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 14 337674 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 15 324248 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16) 16 317165 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 290313 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 18 271261 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16) 19 231050 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 214645 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 475363 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 291157 SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 282721 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 256899 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 242808 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 218273 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 209689 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 157410 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 137496 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 130117 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 127652 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 124807 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 121168 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 16 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 112109 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 107323 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 100647 THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 93493 STREAMING_MEDIA@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
