![[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 5258838 CHEWBACCA5.YESMAIL.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3744023 LIST.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2606584 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2398610 LISTSERV.SYTEBUILDER.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1953328 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1899081 MAILSVRSQL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1256004 LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1196747 SILVER.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1081421 EWMAIL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 1077683 EWAOL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 914145 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 846816 MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 582297 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 550408 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 15 516799 EWMAIL2.DM360.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 485085 EWMAIL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 387509 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 386828 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 19 302881 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 300328 EWAOL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5951299 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 5070284 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 4858166 LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server) 4 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2006247 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1609804 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 1250910 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 899722 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 10 763292 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 11 636965 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 12 633568 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 13 532014 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 14 509567 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 474101 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 461723 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 452997 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 416270 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 358038 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 20 313381 DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 8502 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 4299 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 3 3670 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 4 3568 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 5 3046 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 2997 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 7 2863 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 8 2749 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 2332 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 2213 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 2059 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 2035 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 13 1905 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 14 1884 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Solaris 2.7) 15 1872 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 16 1832 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 1825 LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 1822 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 19 1803 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 1670 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 3744025 LIST.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1024262 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 910580 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 685763 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 549397 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 512829 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 381637 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6) 8 366897 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 9 341569 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 302881 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 276106 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 12 268743 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2) 13 268455 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16) 14 251319 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16) 15 227293 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 222980 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 219671 LISTS.MSTAR.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 207742 DISCUSS.DEVELOP.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server) 19 201471 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 199849 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 426664 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 319273 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 293196 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 282332 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 258250 REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 256058 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 203134 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 197306 MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 188004 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 11 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 171961 THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 163680 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 14 127205 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 126273 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 124826 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 120954 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 113347 MONEYDAILY@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 20 111227 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
