![[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 412836 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 2 376398 LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 362773 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 4 335508 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 5 322967 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 6 297535 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 7 293027 XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-53.1.14.el5xen) 8 263871 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 9 256745 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 10 240573 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 11 238912 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 12 230709 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 13 196848 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 14 194401 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 15 180506 LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9) 16 174639 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 17 172970 LISTS.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-53.1.14.el5) 18 164131 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 19 151575 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 20 150996 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
Pos Subscribers Site --- ----------- ---- 1 2676040 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 2114829 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 1940262 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 4 1202129 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 5 1113761 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 6 1102623 LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2003) 7 1034932 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 8 918544 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 9 908594 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 10 906995 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 11 876593 CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0) 12 783767 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 13 747952 GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 14 740416 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 15 725876 LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 16 708635 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 17 705886 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 18 682268 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 19 657626 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 20 643477 LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
Pos Lists Site --- ----- ---- 1 65086 LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8) 2 20047 LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-52.ELsmp) 3 19335 CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 4 10677 LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp) 5 10573 LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 6 9233 LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 7 8865 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 8 8397 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 9 6727 TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9) 10 6558 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 11 5182 LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 12 5175 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 13 5120 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 14 5102 LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 15 5087 MARIST (VM/SP 2.0) 16 5029 HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7) 17 4362 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 18 4311 LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 19 4177 LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003) 20 4077 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
Pos Recipients Site --- ---------- ---- 1 397710 LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 2 350463 LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 3 326933 H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29) 4 315346 LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-67.0.1.ELsmp) 5 294833 LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 6 263215 LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 7 235593 LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8) 8 234805 HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 9 230709 LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b) 10 224005 APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 Edition) 11 194327 LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003) 12 187328 PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003) 13 172970 LISTS.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-53.1.14.el5) 14 168619 LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 15 153296 BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9) 16 146854 LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server) 17 146592 LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10) 18 146167 LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3) 19 137275 LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp) 20 132341 LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
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 96044 TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp) 4 78352 RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 5 76191 EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 6 74030 E-ARTACADEMY@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9) 7 69689 ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.22.18-grsec2.1.11-vs2.2.0.6) 8 64952 PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 9 64494 ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 10 57638 HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 11 52806 FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 12 47208 VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-55.0.2.ELsmp) 13 46474 L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 14 46146 SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b) 15 44574 JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10) 16 40631 L-PSU-TRAVEL-PROGRAM@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2) 17 37886 NOTICE-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 18 36960 EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 19 36802 DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2) 20 35051 CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)