![[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 5017351 ARIES.EMAIL3.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4648858 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2451841 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2067612 MAIL.OFFERPROMO.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1526307 MOE.VALOFFERS.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1318909 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1188846 MAIL2.ROI1.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 871952 MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 606932 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 507900 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 503630 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 467848 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 13 389589 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 376211 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 304831 LISTSERV.CAMPBELLKITCHEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 297293 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8) 17 292355 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 18 263518 DEMO.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 255200 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 244201 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 4601461 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4575791 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 1906407 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1521654 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 7 1160669 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 8 1034467 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 757188 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 10 709694 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 621342 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 610177 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 13 581016 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 473345 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 472897 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 461722 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 461335 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 18 421700 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 414167 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 20 370641 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.3.0)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 11000 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 4505 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 4396 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 4 4393 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 3564 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 3544 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 7 3467 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 3345 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 3094 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 2750 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 2681 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 2414 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 13 2197 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 14 2159 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 15 2147 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 16 2046 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 17 2008 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 18 1999 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f) 19 1979 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 1953 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 1014338 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 638450 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 637175 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 502387 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 491400 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 467856 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 422150 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 340332 DEMO.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 331563 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 10 330756 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 11 292338 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8) 12 277703 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.18) 13 268524 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 14 241532 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 238745 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11) 16 235667 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 216701 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 18 211037 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 19 206568 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.7 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 206228 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 424441 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 405949 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 282485 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 253528 SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 197224 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7) 7 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 159546 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 9 141483 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 132659 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 124840 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 111227 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 107054 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 88923 STREAMING_MEDIA@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 86623 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 83131 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 65204 THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 63471 GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
