![[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 492811 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 2 475728 MAESTRO3.AZCENTRAL.COM (Linux 2.6.9-55.ELsmp + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 470817 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 453404 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 5 452033 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 6 436005 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 7 424665 MAILSENDER2.ZOOMERANG.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 8 414402 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 9 314606 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 10 300195 XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-53.1.14.el5xen) 11 282317 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 12 274044 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 13 260707 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 14 260365 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 15 257744 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 16 229644 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 17 228540 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 18 223305 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 19 219816 LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9) 20 213213 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 2649990 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 2487828 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 2017623 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 4 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 5 1155943 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 6 1154601 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 7 1095494 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 8 919592 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 9 901060 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 10 889782 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0) 11 889682 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 12 843770 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 13 799170 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 14 750820 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 15 747950 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 16 743785 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 17 712208 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp) 18 699777 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 19 673855 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 20 664846 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 64908 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 22988 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 12895 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 5 10595 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 6 10574 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 7 9094 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 8 8230 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 9 6694 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 10 6526 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 11 5158 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 12 5141 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 13 5134 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 14 5055 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 15 5008 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 16 4980 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 17 4307 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 18 4183 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003) 19 4132 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 20 4092 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 483333 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 2 459484 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 451257 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 4 435893 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 5 405154 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 6 278197 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 7 272936 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 8 265260 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 9 258229 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 10 256304 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 11 250782 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 12 223034 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 13 222402 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 14 221716 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 15 207969 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 16 203805 LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 17 192776 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 18 187702 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 19 187644 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 20 182836 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
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 93501 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 4 78371 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 5 74030 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 6 74030 E-ARTACADEMY@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 7 65037 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 8 62648 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 9 61253 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 10 55814 HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 11 52806 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 12 47188 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 13 46472 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 14 46148 SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 44652 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 16 37897 NOTICE-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 17 36966 EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 18 36808 DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 19 34924 CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 20 34463 MEDPROS-L@DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)