![[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 515875 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 2 492484 XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.16.13-xenU) 3 428919 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 427087 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 5 419851 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 6 400495 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 7 384296 MAILSENDER2.ZOOMERANG.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 350481 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 9 295115 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 10 291610 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 11 266445 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 12 242793 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 13 240280 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 14 232853 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 15 220551 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 16 204652 LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9) 17 201426 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 18 198289 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 196419 LISTS.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-8.el5) 20 189378 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 2397660 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 2336070 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 1940699 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 4 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 5 1094497 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 6 1092952 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 7 1066796 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 8 889650 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0) 9 884951 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 10 882841 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 11 882143 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 12 860737 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 13 752343 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 747908 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 15 731769 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 16 717741 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 17 702851 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 18 685524 LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8) 19 675829 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 20 671417 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 54151 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 21579 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 12851 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 5 10559 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 6 10525 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 7 9021 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 8 8071 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 9 6681 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 10 6531 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 11 5828 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 12 5117 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 13 5114 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 14 5079 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 15 5026 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 16 4989 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 4905 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 18 4261 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 19 4177 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003) 20 4115 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 419402 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 2 419144 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 404020 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 4 396925 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 5 341694 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 6 293702 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 262305 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 8 257890 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 9 237316 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 10 227851 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 11 223682 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 12 213478 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 13 198289 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 14 196419 LISTS.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-8.el5) 15 194566 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 16 185798 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 17 176966 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 18 176615 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 173137 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 20 166499 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 127083 COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18.8-0.7-default) 2 122840 POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9) 3 91418 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 4 78471 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 5 74029 E-ARTACADEMY@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 6 72198 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 7 65022 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 8 60457 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 9 54141 HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 10 53118 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 11 52807 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 12 47817 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 13 46478 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 14 46149 SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 44641 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 16 37906 NOTICE-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 17 36975 EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 18 36817 DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 19 34786 CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 20 34463 MEDPROS-L@DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)