[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – September 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 (SEP06, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     526771  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  2     478123  EMAIL.EBGAMES.COM (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     455989  LISTSERV.FOXNEWS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     418378  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  5     409901  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  6     368390  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server)
  7     362134  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  8     337872  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  9     331692  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
 10     323608  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
 11     321421  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 12     307936  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 13     295855  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     270990  EMA3LSV01.CNN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     258148  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp)
 16     247395  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 17     244523  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18     221071  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     200392  LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     194695  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Sep 2006)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3431055  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  2     1883765  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  3     1882479  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-47.ELsmp)
  4     1492273  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1106144  LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7      944119  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  8      896914  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  9      866801  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 10      858868  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 3.0)
 11      790598  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12      769760  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 13      768278  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      759634  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 15      732018  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp)
 16      731437  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17      695880  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18      627496  LISTSERV.VERSUS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19      624840  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 20      624476  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Sep 2006)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 47238  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2 24847  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  4 17243  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.4.21-47.ELsmp)
  5  9268  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
  6  7350  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
  7  6349  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp)
  8  5953  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.9)
  9  5717  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 10  5018  MARIST (VM/SP 1.0)
 11  5007  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Solaris 2.8)
 12  4994  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  4661  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 14  4660  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 15  4527  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
 16  4378  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17  4077  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 18  3973  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 19  3877  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20  3012  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (SEP06, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     509537  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  2     421545  LS.TIMEINC.NET (Solaris 2.8)
  3     401375  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-40.ELsmp)
  4     358799  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     355040  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  6     339228  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  7     325644  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
  8     324682  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server)
  9     317343  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.4.29)
 10     315958  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
 11     311418  DTIC.MIL (Solaris 2.9)
 12     244936  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 5.3)
 13     243992  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp)
 14     242244  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     214188  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     200392  LISTS.CAMPMOR.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     190562  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-22.ELsmp)
 18     187045  LISTS.AIESEC.NET (Linux 2.6.8-2-686)
 19     174342  LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG (Windows 2000 Server)
 20     174004  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Sep 2006)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      376326  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      139287  SOCIALSECURITY_W2NEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      122841  POSTMITA@LISTSERV.NIC.IT (Solaris 2.9)
  4      102442  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.11.4-21.12-smp)
  5       83023  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
  6       79239  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
  7       76275  FIRSTGOV-L@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8       68133  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
  9       67476  FEDINFO@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10       63322  CARE2@MILEPOST1.COM (Linux 2.4.20-31.9smp)
 11       57540  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 12       52911  VTNETLETTER@LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.ELsmp)
 13       52812  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 14       51869  ARTINFO-L@LISTSERV.DFN.DE (Solaris 2.9)
 15       48018  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 16       47832  ALUMNI@LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.4.27-grsec)
 17       46140  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.9)
 18       41971  L-SMEALZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 19       41859  L-LAZINE@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 20       40540  SURFSPOT@NIC.SURFNET.NL (Windows Enterprise Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)