![[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 943751 LSRV.ORIGINALFONDNESS.COM (Windows NT 5.2 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 479886 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 447959 MAESTRO3.AZCENTRAL.COM (Linux 2.6.9-55.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 418708 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 415259 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.9.ELsmp) 6 395912 EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 379397 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 8 365862 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 9 347525 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 10 344022 MAILSENDER2.ZOOMERANG.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 286945 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 12 281957 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 13 256615 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 14 234455 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 15 229863 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 228939 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 17 227599 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 18 222533 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 201427 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 20 200780 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 2043094 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 2 1986530 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 3 1970988 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 4 1492080 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 5 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 6 1120431 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.9.ELsmp) 7 1102367 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 8 913366 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 9 866025 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0) 10 820667 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 11 817646 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.21.7-grsec2.1.10-200706182032-vs2.2.0.3) 12 796787 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 13 784966 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 771977 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 747907 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 16 744747 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 17 731437 PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 693657 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 19 690432 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 20 687386 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 47226 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 19834 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 18200 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 5 11428 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 6 10387 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.21.7-grsec2.1.10-200706182032-vs2.2.0.3) 7 9555 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 8 8811 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 9 8093 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 10 6519 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 11 6322 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 12 5693 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 13 4972 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 14 4900 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 15 4898 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.9.ELsmp) 16 4882 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 4806 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 18 4141 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003) 19 4123 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 20 3984 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 465670 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 404720 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.9.ELsmp) 3 371446 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 4 363132 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 5 331707 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 6 281154 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 252201 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 8 252180 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 9 227971 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 10 226763 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 11 222575 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 12 222533 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 202368 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 14 194054 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 15 184990 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 16 183098 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 17 182718 AIRMAIL.NBAA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 18 182566 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 19 171556 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 20 171424 LIST.SENIORWEB.NL (Windows Server 2003)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 126102 COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18.8-0.3-default) 2 122840 POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9) 3 86915 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 4 79432 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 5 74026 E-ARTACADEMY@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 6 66286 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 7 65485 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 8 59009 ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 9 57612 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.21.7-grsec2.1.10-200706182032-vs2.2.0.3) 10 55738 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 11 52807 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 12 48366 HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 13 48242 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 14 45242 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 15 44534 SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 16 42502 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 17 37937 NOTICE-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 18 36999 EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 19 36846 DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 20 34462 CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)