![[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 5617735 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2345644 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1482138 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 742723 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 536006 RLY1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 511843 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 510943 BART.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 506565 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 483149 MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 444214 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 415477 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 12 411866 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 347294 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 14 307534 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 300866 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 16 278107 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 268045 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 18 242710 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.8) 19 242198 MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 236723 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 6445542 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2582201 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 4 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1912377 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1496751 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1120141 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1034117 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 1030493 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 10 876903 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 11 864413 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 656622 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 14 584736 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 15 580566 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 550695 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 17 547522 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 18 489112 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 476185 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 20 473345 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 11458 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 9336 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 3 5649 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.18-14smp) 4 5437 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 4849 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 4285 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 4154 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 8 3965 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 3894 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 3811 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 11 3586 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 3495 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 13 3456 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 3166 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 15 2616 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 16 2435 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 17 2352 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 2098 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 19 2074 LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp) 20 1844 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 977303 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 733713 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 523837 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 511868 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 5 508211 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 494354 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 362087 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 354798 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 336297 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 10 320405 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.20) 11 320092 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 284373 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 279935 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.8) 14 251269 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 15 248209 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 16 240293 MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 239287 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.20) 18 226813 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 213549 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 204523 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 472934 MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 282485 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 249660 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 4 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 159267 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 7 142542 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 124855 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 116874 WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 111227 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 106909 OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 84803 TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 83195 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 79086 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 15 65161 THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 61855 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 17 58011 PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 53694 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 20 46483 GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
