![[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 6307520 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2182652 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1620191 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 863511 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 636792 RLY1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 594269 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 561235 BART.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 507920 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 497318 MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 428569 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 395106 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 362926 MAILER01.JEWELCLAIMCENTER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 326749 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 290185 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 264045 MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 241087 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 17 235371 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 233849 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 219754 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 217095 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
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 2794481 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1441890 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1375734 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 7 1106598 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 1034117 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 914206 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 906026 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 11 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 672534 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 13 629655 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 582991 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 15 582674 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 541710 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 17 504100 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.3.0) 18 494005 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 19 489112 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 473345 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 13050 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 2 9396 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 3 5481 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 4 5130 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 4359 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 4208 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 7 4049 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 3884 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 9 3599 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 3494 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 11 3440 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 3389 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 3306 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-13.8smp) 14 3193 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 15 2674 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 16 2465 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 17 2311 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 2098 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 19 2092 LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp) 20 1871 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 942698 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 855087 LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 594296 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 4 520769 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 501768 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 496026 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 312823 LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6) 8 270914 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.20) 9 262063 MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 248881 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 11 244827 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 244404 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 13 227284 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 226933 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0) 15 225272 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 16 217675 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 213620 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.8) 18 199099 LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.20) 19 181069 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 175402 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9 + LSMTP V1.1b)
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 258003 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 160650 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 83202 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 80218 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 15 65161 THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 63723 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 17 58006 PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 55060 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 20 46174 GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
