![[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 4773241 ARIES.EMAIL3.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4646909 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2350266 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2048794 YAHOOLIST.OFFERCHECK.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1913742 MAIL2.ROI1.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1833649 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 875208 MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 703186 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 534283 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 490504 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 11 475598 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 428940 CNNIMAIL23.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 410705 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 385020 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 293074 LISTSERV.CAMPBELLKITCHEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 245877 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8) 17 222361 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 221263 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 218933 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.18) 20 218464 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 6445542 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 4356955 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 3434259 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 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 1769395 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1658861 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 1034435 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 972292 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 10 766630 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 11 717986 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 667165 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 13 611457 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 14 583245 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 478663 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 473345 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 461722 LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 458962 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 19 432026 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 414167 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 12499 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 4569 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 3 4477 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 4 4438 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 3614 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 3587 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 7 3481 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 8 3298 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 3104 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 2704 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 2699 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 2453 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 13 2230 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 14 2225 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 15 2188 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 16 2056 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 17 2019 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 18 1996 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 1978 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f) 20 1970 CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 966089 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 734802 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 595069 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 4 511216 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 499047 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 490511 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 431023 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 328253 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 9 252470 LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 10 249514 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.18) 11 242387 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 12 241008 JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.8) 13 234647 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 14 229512 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11) 15 217263 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.2.19-6.2.16smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 215399 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 17 197791 LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6) 18 181820 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 178915 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 172916 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.7 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 424453 FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 416503 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 253530 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 157572 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 9 142542 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 132662 VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 124842 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 106909 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 84803 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 83135 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 65161 THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 56251 PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 56099 GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
