[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – August 1998


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 (AUG98, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3093334  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2    1295023  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     667106  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     619087  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     611527  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     574157  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7     428169  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     372899  SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9     355847  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 10     323487  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 11     265104  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34)
 12     249288  LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     235677  LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     230055  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     221604  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     214911  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17     203840  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 18     179602  LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     178488  LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     167018  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Aug 1998)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     4942466  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     3855198  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     2721856  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     1903491  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     1862146  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     1004188  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      457692  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      448458  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  9      401110  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10      288757  LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11      224514  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 12      205861  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13      191906  LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14      172988  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 15      155360  LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2)
 16      152464  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2)
 17      132391  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18      125786  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
 19      125103  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 20      112835  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Aug 1998)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  6936  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  2  2139  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  3  1809  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  4  1710  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5  1617  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
  6  1482  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7  1472  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8  1184  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9  1062  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10   972  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 11   931  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12   864  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13   855  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
 14   846  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15   843  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16   821  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 17   813  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 18   786  VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 19   776  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 20   753  VM.SC.EDU (VM/ESA 2)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (AUG98, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1295023  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     854788  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     845767  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     801818  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     754467  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     578973  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7     540906  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     532877  MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
  9     424244  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 10     345866  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 11     345763  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.34)
 12     325652  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     266862  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     264830  LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     251539  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     248156  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 17     210984  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 18     186108  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19     182675  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20     182151  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Aug 1998)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      272482  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2      168360  SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3      128381  DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4       94834  SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5       87862  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6       86829  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7       83941  DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8       83499  DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9       68852  MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10       68545  NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11       66041  ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12       65670  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13       51321  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14       41651  WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15       40903  MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16       39953  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17       38848  SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18       36360  SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19       35564  UCSMON@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       33977  CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)