![[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 566444 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 538052 EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 401801 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 4 373461 MAILSENDER2.ZOOMERANG.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 356955 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 6 327322 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 7 293536 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 8 289690 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 9 284537 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 10 281506 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 271336 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 12 269701 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 13 223923 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 207327 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 203548 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 16 198542 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 17 197239 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 18 193233 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 19 164914 LIST.SENIORWEB.NL (Windows Server 2003) 20 163580 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 2940556 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 2 2550388 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 3 1962776 LISTSERV.CMICH.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 1866217 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 5 1862809 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 6 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 1069672 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 8 933465 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 9 840268 LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 835675 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0) 11 832858 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 12 805754 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.19.7-grsec2.1.10-vs2.2.0) 13 801170 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 14 795418 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 15 780787 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 761673 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 17 747908 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 18 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 714494 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 688906 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 40507 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 23464 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 18305 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 11454 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 6 10378 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 7 9727 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.19.7-grsec2.1.10-vs2.2.0) 8 7908 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 9 7708 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 10 6319 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 11 6045 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 12 5414 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 13 5266 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 14 5217 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 15 4754 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 16 4724 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 4659 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 18 4113 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 4081 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003) 20 3962 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 388624 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 2 342120 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 3 296562 EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 288482 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 5 287941 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 6 285473 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 7 280209 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 8 277732 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 9 273289 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 10 267938 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 11 220465 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 12 207327 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 189911 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 14 187288 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 15 179514 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 16 175447 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 17 165126 LIST.SENIORWEB.NL (Windows Server 2003) 18 163995 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 160502 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 20 149973 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 284224 SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 122840 POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9) 3 121886 COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18.8-0.3-default) 4 117963 SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 85404 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 6 79454 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 7 74040 E-ARTACADEMY@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 8 73909 ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 9 67081 FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 65421 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 11 64712 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 12 56677 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.19.7-grsec2.1.10-vs2.2.0) 13 53993 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 14 52806 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 15 49004 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 16 46680 HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 17 45075 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 18 42698 SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 41627 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 20 37031 EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)