[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – July 2006


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 (JUL06, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     450429  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     402111  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  3     399873  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  4     363196  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server)
  5     313572  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  6     301036  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  7     293132  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
  8     280060  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  9     241879  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 10     234906  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11     231966  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 12     177794  LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13     176468  LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
 14     165715  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8)
 15     162496  SPECIALNEEDS.HOSTING.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 16     160791  EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     156895  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     153830  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 19     144446  LISTS.LDS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     142816  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Jul 2006)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3862096  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  2     2218704  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  3     1919259  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  4     1397135  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1088605  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7      855471  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      854609  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  9      806988  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0)
 10      803798  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
 11      769763  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 12      757734  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 13      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      719971  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 15      715666  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 16      672460  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
 17      666855  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18      645111  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19      628817  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 20      611901  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Jul 2006)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 54628  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2 19442  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  4 18657  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  5 10102  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
  6  8998  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
  7  6554  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
  8  5863  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9)
  9  5508  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10  5325  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
 11  4800  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 12  4518  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 13  4304  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 14  4204  MARIST (VM/SP 1.0)
 15  4198  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16  4119  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
 17  4084  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 18  3881  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 19  3796  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20  2969  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (JUL06, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     405519  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  2     373793  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  3     322242  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server)
  4     317839  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  5     289634  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  6     289172  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
  7     265136  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  8     241967  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  9     234504  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 10     231041  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 11     177794  LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     159982  LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
 13     159573  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Solaris 2.8)
 14     157439  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     154410  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     150559  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 17     144440  LISTS.LDS.ORG (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     136498  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     132472  LISTS.AIESEC.NET (Linux 2.6.8-2-686)
 20     126451  LIST.SENIORWEB.NL (Windows 2000 Server)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Jul 2006)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      375283  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      138535  SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      122841  POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9)
  4      100393  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.11.4-21.12-smp)
  5       81397  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
  6       76694  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
  7       75632  FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8       69134  FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9       66583  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 10       63505  CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-31.9smp)
 11       54608  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 12       52928  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
 13       52813  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 14       51804  ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9)
 15       47565  ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 16       45656  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 17       44992  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 18       41737  L-SMEALZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 19       39959  QCIINT@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 20       38420  SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)