![[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 4865539 CHEWBACCA5.YESMAIL.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3631054 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2552683 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1613239 LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1407456 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 874307 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 733744 MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 702768 SILVER.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 621763 EWAOL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 620417 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 614092 EWMAIL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 580840 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 13 448913 NEWS.DIETSMART.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 447779 MAILSVRSQL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 406549 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 380549 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 17 357406 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 18 320976 EWMAIL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 289963 EWAOL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 281810 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5900448 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 5423909 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 4860526 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2133957 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2089713 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 1532482 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 9 1217230 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 734668 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 11 649648 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 593037 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 13 562209 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 14 487296 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 15 476317 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 443260 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 372156 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 322205 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 313381 DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 297262 SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 11885 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 4167 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 3 3547 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 3193 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 5 3134 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 3058 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3) 7 2940 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 2768 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 9 2676 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 2009 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 11 2008 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 1973 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 1953 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 14 1887 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 15 1822 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 1820 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 17 1748 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 1735 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 1696 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 20 1633 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 3631056 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 952456 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 870345 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 719573 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 584866 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 545297 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 448913 NEWS.DIETSMART.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 375580 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 9 362556 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 357413 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 11 301135 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 295405 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 283700 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 281810 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 281501 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 16 276224 LIST.PROMOTIONSERVER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 272972 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16) 18 257034 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16) 19 227093 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 220459 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 425842 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 329675 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 282365 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 271000 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 258250 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 256034 SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 212241 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 170486 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 11 163635 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 161712 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 13 156316 THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 127177 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 124817 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 124226 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 121939 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 111227 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 104040 MONEYDAILY@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
