[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – September 2005


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 (SEP05, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     890294  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.3-1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     577323  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     484474  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     483429  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     459211  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 5.2 Server)
  6     434631  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-32.0.1.ELsmp)
  7     409398  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  8     382097  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     374875  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10     368958  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 11     355920  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 12     284681  LISTSERV.COMPUTERWORLD.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     283024  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     265862  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     262684  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 16     251985  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     250241  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
 18     234641  EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     226019  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-27.7.xsmp)
 20     225817  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-11.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Sep 2005)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3864177  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  2     1965898  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-32.0.1.ELsmp)
  3     1421622  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  4     1332937  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1199190  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     1007865  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      978250  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  9      962265  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      820316  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11      775398  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-32.0.1.ELsmp)
 12      741039  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0)
 13      737158  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 14      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15      697759  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-11.ELsmp)
 16      648419  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17      636642  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 18      618916  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 19      570213  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 20      541260  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Sep 2005)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 30007  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2 26209  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  4 18151  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-32.0.1.ELsmp)
  5 10201  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  6  8758  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
  7  6805  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  8  5610  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-11.ELsmp)
  9  5477  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9)
 10  5477  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 11  5037  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 12  4980  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 13  4525  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 14  4291  MARIST (VM/SP 1.0)
 15  4177  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-32.0.1.ELsmp)
 16  4025  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 17  3776  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18  3625  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19  3611  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 20  2649  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (SEP05, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     803718  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     459249  OXYGEN3.PANDASOFTWARE.COM (Windows NT 5.2 Server)
  3     426872  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     418570  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-32.0.1.ELsmp)
  5     412737  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  6     388911  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     368965  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  8     360330  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9     348649  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     347860  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11     331579  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
 12     265903  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 13     264525  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     245361  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     221828  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.4.18-27.7.xsmp)
 16     216852  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     211325  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18     198628  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-11.ELsmp)
 19     189724  LISTES.LEMONDE.FR (SunOS 5.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     186343  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Sep 2005)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      357846  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  2      122843  POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9)
  3      118498  SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  4       81619  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.5-7.193-smp)
  5       78373  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
  6       75727  FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
  7       64658  CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-31.9smp)
  8       63967  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
  9       62632  FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.8)
 10       61254  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 11       58828  L-PSU-TRAVEL-PROGRAM@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 12       55848  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-11.ELsmp)
 13       52818  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 14       41064  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 15       40603  ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 16       39761  MARKETPLACE@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 17       39416  ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9)
 18       34832  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.8)
 19       34254  L-SMEALZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 20       31807  JAGNEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)