![[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 7405239 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1984458 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1516911 DATAG.EXIMPACT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1062132 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 906000 WWW-TOPSITES.COM (Windows NT 5.2 Enterprise Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 743761 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 7 456012 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 439128 MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 376011 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 360234 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 315026 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 304439 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 13 285891 JCCMAILER01.JEWELCLAIMCENTER.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 279406 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 254924 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 248041 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 17 246886 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 237345 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 19 234824 LISTSERV.CAMPBELLKITCHEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 224694 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3076180 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 3067161 EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 2059147 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 1467328 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 1034117 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 970666 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 9 954308 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 813761 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 11 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 710440 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 13 697986 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 14 608611 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 15 545618 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 16 531519 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 17 489112 LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 485198 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 473345 LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 461939 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 2 11104 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 10107 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 4 8039 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-20.8smp) 5 6955 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 6 6441 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 7 5687 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 8 4557 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 4448 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 4344 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 11 4093 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 12 3944 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 13 3728 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 14 3722 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 3518 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 2994 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 2878 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 2520 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 2194 LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp) 20 2098 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 826343 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 743806 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 3 479189 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 451961 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 433244 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 357595 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 7 344251 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 307826 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 289874 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.21) 10 275042 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 11 254494 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 243859 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.8) 13 215733 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 194609 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 15 190372 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 188035 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/SP 3.0) 17 167304 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 18 161675 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 158541 LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7) 20 157769 LIST.SENIORWEB.NL (Windows 2000 Server)
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 272655 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 160651 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 83227 SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 77758 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3) 13 64252 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 14 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 55131 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 16 50844 FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 17 43805 GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 43099 CL-ANNOUNCE@LIST.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 39935 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 20 38832 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
