![[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 4336635 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2808610 SQLDML-001.DEVELOPINGDOTS.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2707345 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2390075 MS1.OEN1.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1689364 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 741184 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 595153 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 580706 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 525589 XMM.NETWORKPROMOTION.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 516267 MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 506747 CHEWBACCA5.YESMAIL.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 432533 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 428363 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 14 415764 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 398619 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 365739 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 17 347104 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 315646 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8) 19 291663 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.12smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 268949 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 5044989 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4894199 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1998825 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1677086 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1500031 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 1113015 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 9 1036705 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 945948 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 11 721431 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 12 667872 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 13 561762 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 14 538426 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 473342 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 464284 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 17 461722 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 456746 ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 440519 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 20 414167 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 9046 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 5453 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 3 4370 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 4 4134 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 3463 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 3445 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 7 3402 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 3198 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 3058 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 2821 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 2663 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.12smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 2508 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 13 2292 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Solaris 2.7) 14 2099 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34) 15 2069 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 16 2066 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2) 17 2028 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 18 2019 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 1945 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 1894 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1066546 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 734329 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 724885 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 572742 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 559847 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 428372 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 415202 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 414992 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 386791 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 349955 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 327903 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 312066 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11) 13 310501 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8) 14 293100 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.12smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 270044 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 16 265518 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.14) 17 249492 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 18 233145 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.7 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 225000 LISTS.US.CHECKPOINT.COM (SunOS 5.8) 20 221214 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 428868 HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 424432 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 374209 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 282480 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 253562 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 199998 HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 197224 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 10 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 160290 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 12 138312 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 127241 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 124857 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 112915 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 111227 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 89507 STREAMING_MEDIA@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 86914 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 83221 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
