[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – May 2011


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 (MAY11, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     568797  XB1.BOOKSAMILLION.COM (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5xen)
  2     409282  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  3     404896  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  4     365050  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  5     341498  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  6     308684  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
  7     244568  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  8     237868  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  9     199812  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 10     198398  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 11     196134  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     192279  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 13     189201  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 14     182690  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 15     178141  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 16     169668  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 17     169023  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 18     164308  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 19     161265  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)
 20     156604  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 May 2011)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3028687  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5)
  2     2644460  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3     1231245  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
  4     1223891  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
  5     1202129  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  6     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  7     1044026  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.29.ELsmp)
  8      996642  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  9      996444  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
 10      993005  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
 11      983861  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
 12      938366  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 13      905221  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 14      902777  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 15      891890  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 1.0)
 16      870954  LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 17      841268  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 18      765830  LISTSERV.KSU.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 19      764544  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.33.1.ELsmp)
 20      751295  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 May 2011)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 33274  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  2 28024  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  3 21802  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18-238.5.1.el5)
  4 19335  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
  5 11623  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.29.ELsmp)
  6  9766  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.0.25.ELsmp)
  7  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
  8  8997  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.6.18-238.9.1.el5)
  9  7874  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 10  7296  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.18-238.1.1.el5)
 11  6323  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 12  6226  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 13  6126  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
 14  5885  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
 15  5707  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 16  5582  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 17  5295  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
 18  4692  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows Enterprise Server 2003)
 19  4236  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Solaris 2.9)
 20  4058  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Solaris 2.10)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (MAY11, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     397680  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem)
  2     395017  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2003)
  3     348392  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  4     336232  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 5.2)
  5     298676  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-89.35.1.ELsmp)
  6     240334  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  7     234661  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2003)
  8     197902  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
  9     187662  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     185646  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 11     184831  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-194.11.3.el5)
 12     179926  BAMA.UA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 13     175562  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (Linux 2.6.9-42.0.2.ELsmp)
 14     174310  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.9)
 15     168940  LISTSERV.MED.CORNELL.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 16     164059  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 2.6.32.12-0.7-xen)
 17     161774  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows Server 2003)
 18     154079  NERDALERT.THENERDS.NET (Linux 2.6.18-92.1.22.el5)
 19     152508  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Solaris 2.9)
 20     150948  LISTS.ASU.EDU (Linux 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.xs5.5.0.51xen)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 May 2011)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      219854  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.6.27.54-0.2-default)
  2       86994  EDUCATION_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  3       76024  RFP-BULLETIN@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  4       72327  ARTS_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  5       66547  HEALTH_FUNDING@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  6       63334  PND-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  7       52803  FDNCENTER-L@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
  8       48926  COMNET@HERMES.GWU.EDU (Linux 2.6.16.54-0.2.12-smp)
  9       44590  JOB-ALERT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 10       43298  FOLKWAYS@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 11       42802  TEMPLETODAY@LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-20.ELsmp)
 12       41358  JAGNEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 13       37697  CONNECT@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 14       36946  SKILLPORT-UHMAIN-STUDENTS@LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.4.21-47.0.1.ELsmp)
 15       36835  GLOBAL-LINKS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG (Windows Server 2003 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16       36681  EVENTS-NEWSLETTER-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 17       36498  DIVERSITY-NEWS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows Server 2003 R2)
 18       35108  STUDENT-AT-TENNESSEE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 19       34857  FC-NYLIB@LISTS.FDNCENTER.ORG (Solaris 2.10)
 20       34584  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2003)