[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – January 1999


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 (JAN99, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3521411  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     732300  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     727902  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     720576  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     693144  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     563246  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     450655  SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8     449206  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  9     377569  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36)
 10     360915  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 11     329371  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     310242  LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     298560  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     260387  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     247994  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16     222797  LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     215753  DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18     212149  LISTSERV-MAIL.SURFNET.NL (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     211791  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
 20     195202  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Jan 1999)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     5508369  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     4952612  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     3000319  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     2934865  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     1945178  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1181672  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      610663  MM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      576000  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  9      457351  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      415787  LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11      402661  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12      376875  LISTSERV.OFFICEMAX.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13      268343  LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14      254358  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15      229574  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 16      217400  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17      211555  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2)
 18      210594  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 19      174875  MAILSERV.DIGITALCITY.COM (Solaris 2.5.1)
 20      156230  LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Jan 1999)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  7362  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  2  2398  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  3  2296  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  4  2139  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  5  1820  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
  6  1723  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7  1567  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8  1521  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9  1352  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 10  1236  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11  1165  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12  1125  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 13  1112  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14  1057  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15  1016  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 16   980  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 17   928  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18   921  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 19   907  VM.SC.EDU (VM/ESA 2)
 20   852  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (JAN99, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     961829  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     931084  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     905539  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     900278  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     728934  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     697055  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     532008  MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
  8     531309  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  9     486535  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.36)
 10     383452  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 11     380406  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     314954  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     306432  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     293430  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     260311  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 16     256984  H-NET.MSU.EDU (AIX 4.1)
 17     240372  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 18     233919  DISCUSS.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19     223283  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20     222088  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Jan 1999)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      249132  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2      214190  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3      140853  DIETCITY-AOL@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4      128951  JAVASCRIPTS-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5      115097  DIETCITY@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6      102171  SUBSCRIBERS-JAVASCRIPTS-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7       95187  DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8       94610  SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9       85644  MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10       84969  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11       74105  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
 12       68681  NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13       66601  ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14       62527  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15       56926  WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16       55215  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17       51934  SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18       50784  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19       46980  DATAMATION-L@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       40381  MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)