[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – April 2001


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 (APR01, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3377997  CHEWBACCA1.YESMAIL.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    3015646  CHEWBACCA5.YESMAIL.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    2860275  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4    2832213  LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5    2080388  MAILSVR11.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6    1550678  LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7)
  7    1350869  LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8    1200564  MAILSVRSQL.CLEARFLOW.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     961152  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     852197  LS.OPTHOST.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     820535  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     558052  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     492173  JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6)
 14     460280  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     427942  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     333452  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 17     327644  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 18     314986  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 19     264913  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16)
 20     262730  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Apr 2001)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     5918756  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     5353018  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     4867119  LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     3067161  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     2134361  LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     2014823  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     1373627  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  9     1300657  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      874237  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 11      622834  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 12      568374  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 13      545502  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 14      490435  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15      478478  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16      472768  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3)
 17      442232  ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18      429006  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 19      313891  DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      311390  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Apr 2001)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  8657  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2  4217  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  3  4096  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6)
  4  3514  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  5  3119  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  6  2992  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  7  2842  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8  2671  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  9  2666  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 10  2654  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11  2054  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12  1991  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34)
 13  1896  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 14  1858  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 15  1816  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16  1759  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17  1733  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 18  1718  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 19  1652  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 20  1593  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (APR01, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    2832216  LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    1545235  LISTS.SECURITYFOCUS.COM (SunOS 5.7)
  3    1002801  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     958304  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     696822  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     612775  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     535828  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     487320  JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6)
  9     381878  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 10     339488  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
 11     338599  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 12     324412  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16)
 13     314986  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 14     299629  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16)
 15     294386  NETSPACE.ORG (???)
 16     289278  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     276111  MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
 18     261896  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     244940  LISTS.MSTAR.NET (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     236632  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Apr 2001)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      443904  HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      289032  HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      280907  GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4      258338  REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5      256225  SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6      255548  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7      229777  FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      222483  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      178297  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      159738  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
 11      152084  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7)
 12      145212  MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13      138719  THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      127677  VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15      126853  OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16      124823  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17      116874  WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18      111508  CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19      110887  BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20       98035  MONEYDAILY@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)