![[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 9699719 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 1764221 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 577943 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 4 527702 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 456191 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 407710 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 405138 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 8 389030 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 353792 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 347507 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 11 343740 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 12 320874 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-15.0.4.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 291140 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 14 274772 MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 274051 CDMAIL3.CORREODIRECT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0) 16 261489 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 17 257956 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 255325 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.26) 19 231615 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-27.7.xsmp) 20 206534 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3946733 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1445812 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-29.8.4smp) 4 1323655 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 1220140 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 1069934 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 8 1040131 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 1034117 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 938205 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 865134 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 12 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 663752 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 14 641243 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0) 15 638441 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 16 579857 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 17 559646 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.26-grsec) 18 551296 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 529175 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-15.0.4.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 513907 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 20414 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 3 18862 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 4 18594 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-29.8.4smp) 5 8138 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.26-grsec) 6 5261 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 7 4905 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 4856 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 9 4574 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 4360 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-15.0.4.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 4323 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 12 4167 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 13 4042 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 14 3970 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 15 3408 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 16 2751 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 17 2681 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 2527 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 19 2310 LISTS.VCU.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-5) 20 2308 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-27.7.xsmp)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 790285 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 577980 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 3 556629 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 4 431290 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 400285 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 377312 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 349044 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 342520 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.26) 9 341751 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 320374 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-15.0.4.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 317604 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 296040 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 13 231456 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-27.7.xsmp) 14 217483 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 15 214403 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 196788 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 187262 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 183870 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 179520 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 175736 LISTES.LEMONDE.FR (SunOS 5.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 307626 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 77436 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 10 70596 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 11 67102 CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-30.9smp) 12 66207 CL-ANNOUNCE@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.5-7.95-smp) 13 65248 FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 14 59248 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 15 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 49888 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 17 48409 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 18 39633 ALUMNEWS@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 37877 CTWADVISORYBOARD-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 37663 L-PSU-TRAVEL-PROGRAM@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)