![[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 8334465 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 2209794 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 838806 LSRV.33CONNECT.COM (Windows NT 5.2 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 601745 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 554888 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 6 433088 MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 426008 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 413663 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 9 402805 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 401385 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 371774 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 335230 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 317511 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 312755 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 15 312622 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 16 249818 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.21) 17 239340 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 238050 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 19 236271 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 232151 LISTSERV.DFN.DE (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3177981 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1742401 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 5 1051340 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 6 1034117 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 1017857 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 8 963012 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 916240 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 734520 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-20.8smp) 11 732083 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 12 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 628392 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 14 627624 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 15 577398 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 16 560529 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.3.0) 17 552823 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 18 537378 ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3) 19 534342 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 20 504643 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 20764 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-20.8smp) 2 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 3 17145 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 14386 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 9390 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 6 7164 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4) 7 4720 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 4667 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 9 4535 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 10 4341 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 4004 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 12 3979 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 3887 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 14 3886 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 15 3708 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 3113 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 2953 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 2605 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 2213 LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp) 20 2116 LISTS.VCU.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-5)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 973870 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 554921 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 3 506414 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 496172 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 5 452497 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 6 419187 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 375633 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 346251 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 9 340984 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.21) 10 340054 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 319903 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 282835 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 13 240936 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 14 231550 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 226697 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 216101 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 192399 MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/SP 3.0) 18 188597 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 187694 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp) 20 185633 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 294096 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 2 282485 GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 222483 EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 178297 EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 160651 CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6) 6 142542 CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 124855 MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 111227 BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 77595 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 10 70846 CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-30.9smp) 11 66573 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 12 57702 FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 13 56764 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 14 56455 CL-ANNOUNCE@LIST.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 15 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 43264 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 17 43098 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 18 37877 CTWADVISORYBOARD-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 37599 ALUMNEWS@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 36238 ISDNNEWS@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
