![[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 4436473 CHEWBACCA5.YESMAIL.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3446003 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2378464 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1720664 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1556869 LIST.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1538767 EWMAIL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1199249 LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1038643 LISTSERV.INVESTPROCENTRAL.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 914428 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 745221 SILVER.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 702451 MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 668152 LIST.PROMOTIONSERVER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 595572 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 595321 EWMAIL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 569492 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 16 535447 EWAOL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 442641 MYLISTMAILING.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 441524 EWAOL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 401967 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 399356 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5966288 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 5045510 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 4858151 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 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1978513 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1572214 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 9 1226374 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 744707 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 11 695602 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 609238 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 13 573637 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 14 536485 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 15 497183 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 475211 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 444909 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 375858 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 321501 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 20 313381 DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 18163 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 4278 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6) 3 3547 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 3239 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 3175 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 6 3085 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 7 2962 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 2793 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 9 2694 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 2049 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 2021 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 12 1998 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 1980 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 14 1905 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 15 1854 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 16 1824 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1765 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 1755 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 1741 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 20 1661 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 3446005 LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1556870 LIST.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 909665 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 866848 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 709547 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 668152 LIST.PROMOTIONSERVER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 561414 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 530459 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 442683 MYLISTMAILING.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 394375 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 11 300217 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 291178 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 287852 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 14 265956 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16) 15 261400 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16) 16 261256 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 17 260583 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 18 256455 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 249315 DISCUSS.DEVELOP.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server) 20 227564 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 426251 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 326548 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 282364 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 281056 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 256040 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 204763 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 178783 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 10 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 172777 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 163494 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 13 163129 THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 127193 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 124819 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 123684 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 122635 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + 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 109486 MONEYDAILY@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
