![[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 520176 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 503723 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 433975 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 4 382419 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 5 376154 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 6 354173 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 7 346540 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 8 333830 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 9 323566 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 315121 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 305550 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 282386 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 13 242025 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 234875 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 233284 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 208055 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 17 206064 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp) 18 205193 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp) 19 201578 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 189741 MAILSENDER.ZOOMERANG.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3818866 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 2235599 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp) 3 2050688 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 4 1219246 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 6 985525 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 970426 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 851814 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 848036 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 10 836280 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0) 11 811798 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 810225 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 13 769795 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 707628 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 16 700146 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec) 17 697091 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp) 18 690479 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 19 617555 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 20 616164 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 50613 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 22540 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 21350 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-37.ELsmp) 4 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 5 9945 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 6 8973 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec) 7 5911 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp) 8 5895 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 9 5826 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 10 5412 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 11 4713 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6) 12 4553 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 13 4402 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 14 4178 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 15 4140 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 4052 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 17 3934 MARIST (VM/SP 1.0) 18 3818 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 3788 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 2889 LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 502395 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 437040 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 3 372324 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 4 348920 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 5 346790 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 333692 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 327734 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 8 320256 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 302441 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 288638 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 285646 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 12 232955 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 226775 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 204992 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 15 201118 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp) 16 193284 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp) 17 188692 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 185653 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 184152 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 178200 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 372693 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 122843 POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9) 3 111421 SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 95229 COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.5-7.252-smp) 5 80214 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 6 77158 FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 74019 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 8 67575 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 65293 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 10 63858 CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-31.9smp) 11 53743 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp) 12 52815 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 13 51741 ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 14 44152 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 15 42812 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec) 16 37070 DARTMOUTH-ALUMNI-TRAVEL@LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 36822 L-SMEALZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 18 36811 QCIINT@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 34749 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 34106 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)