![[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 3652565 CHEWBACCA1.YESMAIL.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3236931 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2224107 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1456488 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 5 1095410 LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1044425 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 768055 MYLISTMAILING.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 678157 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 9 658089 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 649762 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 511738 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 459753 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 13 452513 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 359202 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 15 346672 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 335331 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 321255 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16) 18 287281 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 280073 LISTS.MSTAR.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 263180 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.7 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5755015 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4863288 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 4568882 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2201982 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2134415 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1733912 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1335059 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 826110 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 11 599848 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 12 531449 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 13 517649 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 14 473005 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 465643 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 16 458116 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 418168 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 331424 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 330423 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 20 309219 DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 8582 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 2 4049 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 3448 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 3356 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 5 3095 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 6 2905 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 7 2771 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 2600 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 2562 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2) 10 2536 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 11 1945 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 1917 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 1878 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 14 1830 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 15 1797 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 16 1706 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1668 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2) 18 1653 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 19 1593 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 20 1568 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 2224109 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1451334 LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7) 3 1124857 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1041950 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 828815 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 768115 MYLISTMAILING.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 673153 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 8 673123 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 571735 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 459756 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 11 411964 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 392173 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 13 387483 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16) 14 367249 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 362581 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 16 335331 LISTS.SMARTPORTFOLIO.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 291733 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 18 287016 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 280328 NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16) 20 279700 LISTS.MSTAR.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 460542 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 284665 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 258338 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 258216 SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 257495 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 222193 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 221704 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 158896 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 11 137648 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 129800 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 13 129440 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 127659 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 124813 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 112681 THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 111994 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 109534 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 90242 STREAMING_MEDIA@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
