![[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 5761785 LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 918110 PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 580475 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 4 579558 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 553831 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 6 439670 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 410925 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 403274 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 394130 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 10 370852 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 334219 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 318574 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 13 311910 LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 292638 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 269929 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.26) 16 250982 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 17 226589 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 221353 LISTSERV.DFN.DE (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1a) 19 216428 LISTSERV.CAMPBELLKITCHEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 201655 MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3946078 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 2020824 DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 1614956 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-29.8.4smp) 4 1333119 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 1280796 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 1078896 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 8 1053890 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 1034117 ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 978907 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 873943 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 12 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 697309 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0) 14 692360 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 15 674199 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 16 617010 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.26-grsec) 17 590729 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 18 578960 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 19 576374 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 521807 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 20543 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 20180 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.20-29.8.4smp) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 18902 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 8234 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.26-grsec) 6 5855 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 7 5407 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 8 5014 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 9 4964 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 10 4725 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 4498 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 12 4449 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 4244 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 4093 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 15 4035 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 3451 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 3089 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 2534 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 19 2347 POST.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.8) 20 2328 LISTS.VCU.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-5)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 808073 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 580515 OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0) 3 558406 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 4 446246 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 377532 MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a) 6 356578 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 7 355762 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.26) 8 353622 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 344521 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 320407 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 318686 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 12 253872 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 13 217205 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 198604 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 196338 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 193213 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-27.7.xsmp) 17 186912 LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1) 18 182722 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 180755 LISTES.LEMONDE.FR (SunOS 5.6 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 178374 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 313648 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 77398 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 5.1) 10 71121 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 11 68219 CL-ANNOUNCE@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.5-7.108-smp) 12 66825 CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-30.9smp) 13 65885 FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 14 59532 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 15 56190 ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 51463 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8) 17 49162 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8) 18 39960 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 37211 L-PSU-TRAVEL-PROGRAM@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)