[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – November 1997


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).

What do these numbers mean exactly?

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).


Top 20 sites by volume delivered daily (NOV97, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    2436998  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     535273  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     485518  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     445665  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
  5     410479  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     404852  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7     389015  SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8     386920  ISBLISTS.ZDNET.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9     381117  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 10     365603  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11     347609  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 12     330887  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     292997  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     271829  LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     267994  LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     239507  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 17     234030  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18     222004  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 19     192686  LSV.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20     187457  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.30)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Nov 1997)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3455281  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     1944448  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
  3     1069469  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4      761007  ISBLISTS.ZDNET.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5      651004  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6      468575  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      316159  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  8      233875  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a)
  9      207417  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10      189651  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11      171913  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12      156283  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 13      131663  SERVICES.WEB.AOL.COM (Solaris 2.4)
 14      124678  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 15      121316  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 16      110296  LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17      106850  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
 18       97782  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 19       95620  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       92272  LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Nov 1997)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  3556  LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2  2004  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  3  1460  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4  1444  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  5  1426  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
  6  1283  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  7  1247  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  8  1201  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9   993  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 10   965  TC.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.4)
 11   961  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 12   809  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13   798  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 14   765  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15   704  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16   700  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17   687  VM.TEMPLE.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0)
 18   675  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
 19   625  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5)
 20   619  ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2.0)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (NOV97, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     832677  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     673180  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     546363  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     520835  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     488446  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     456548  MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
  7     452887  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
  8     451064  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  9     450191  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10     398107  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11     386920  ISBLISTS.ZDNET.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     367638  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 13     333249  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     273916  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 15     270961  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     269323  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 17     247716  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.30)
 18     218525  CUNYVM (VM/ESA 2.3.0)
 19     212589  LSV.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20     197052  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Nov 1997)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      880544  DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2      344907  SHAREWARE-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3      337984  DOWNLOAD-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4      267933  GAMECENTER-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5      239433  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6      195978  NEWS-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      138146  BROWSER-ALERT-PC@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8      112924  DISPATCH-HTML@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9       95812  SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10       74999  ANSWERMAN@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 11       70776  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12       68112  NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 13       57885  ACTIVEX-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14       53911  NEWS-DISPATCH-HTML@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15       51536  ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 16       48934  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 17       44285  MEDIADOME-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18       43110  POLOCLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19       41621  DOWNLOAD-DISPATCH-MAC@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       40756  MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX A.09.04 + LSMTP V1.0a)