[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – March 2003


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 (MAR03, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    5875097  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    2377275  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    1410991  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4    1076321  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     535261  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     508442  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  7     438902  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8     418737  MAILER.INFORMIT.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     411209  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     404319  RLY1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     403276  LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     316716  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 13     311361  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 14     279056  JAGGEDMAIL.JAGGEDMIND.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     264848  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 16     258184  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     231995  MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     230110  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     228988  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11)
 20     228211  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Mar 2003)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     6445542  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     3067161  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     2398644  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  4     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     1967399  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     1480526  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     1037104  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     1034117  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     1019221  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 10      899203  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11      863675  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 12      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13      627714  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
 14      586681  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 15      585951  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 16      543661  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3)
 17      525230  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18      489112  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19      473345  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      463255  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Mar 2003)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  9606  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2  9323  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  3  5651  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.18-18.7.x)
  4  5408  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  5  4769  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  6  4161  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7  4134  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  8  3903  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  9  3870  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10  3773  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 11  3569  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12  3463  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 13  3385  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14  3115  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 15  2604  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 16  2423  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4)
 17  2316  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18  2098  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp)
 19  2063  LISTSERV.UNL.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-17.7.xsmp)
 20  1820  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (OSF/1 V4.0f)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAR03, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1067029  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    1023996  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     540774  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     525793  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 4.0)
  5     520945  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     517499  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     349868  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  8     328362  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  9     327921  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10     310589  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     302109  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.20pre11)
 12     262527  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.7-10smp + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     247657  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 14     238865  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.4.20)
 15     236291  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.8)
 16     230172  MAIL.ABANET.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     223244  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 18     216406  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     202161  MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
 20     201894  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Mar 2003)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      472934  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      282485  GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      246804  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  4      222483  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5      178297  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6      158130  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  7      142542  CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      124855  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      116874  WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      111227  BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11      106909  OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12       84803  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13       83189  SELFHELP@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14       79138  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 15       65161  THEONLINEINVESTOR@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.11.11 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16       60916  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 17       58017  PLIMAIL@LISTSERV.PLI.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18       56190  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19       52945  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 20       46975  GOURMET-ECLUB@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)