![[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 526771 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 2 478123 EMAIL.EBGAMES.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 455989 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 418378 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 5 409901 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 6 368390 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server) 7 362134 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 8 337872 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 9 331692 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 10 323608 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 11 321421 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 12 307936 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 13 295855 MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 270990 EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 258148 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp) 16 247395 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 17 244523 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 221071 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 200392 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 194695 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 3431055 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 1883765 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 3 1882479 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-47.ELsmp) 4 1492273 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 5 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 6 1106144 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 944119 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 8 896914 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 9 866801 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 10 858868 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0) 11 790598 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 769760 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 13 768278 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 759634 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec) 15 732018 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp) 16 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 695880 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 18 627496 LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 624840 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 20 624476 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 47238 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 24847 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 17243 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-47.ELsmp) 5 9268 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec) 6 7350 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 7 6349 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp) 8 5953 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 9 5717 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 10 5018 MARIST (VM/SP 1.0) 11 5007 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8) 12 4994 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 13 4661 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 4660 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 15 4527 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 16 4378 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 4077 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 18 3973 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 3877 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 3012 LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 509537 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 2 421545 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 3 401375 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp) 4 358799 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 355040 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 6 339228 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 325644 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 8 324682 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server) 9 317343 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 10 315958 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 11 311418 DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9) 12 244936 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 13 243992 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp) 14 242244 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 214188 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 200392 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 190562 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp) 18 187045 LISTS.AIESEC.NET (Linux 2.6.8-2-686) 19 174342 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 20 174004 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 376326 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 139287 SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 122841 POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9) 4 102442 COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.11.4-21.12-smp) 5 83023 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 6 79239 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 7 76275 FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 68133 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 9 67476 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 63322 CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-31.9smp) 11 57540 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 12 52911 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp) 13 52812 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 14 51869 ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 15 48018 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 16 47832 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec) 17 46140 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9) 18 41971 L-SMEALZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 19 41859 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3) 20 40540 SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)