[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – January 2018


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 (JAN18, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     864713  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     495698  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  3     472428  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  4     297012  LSERV.CARDSYS.AT (Linux 4.4.98-5-pve)
  5     296263  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Linux 2.6.32)
  6     269508  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  7     252368  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  8     237953  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.11)
  9     234207  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 10     223554  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 11     220013  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 12     218929  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 13     215306  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 14     202904  DIGITAL.ANNEXBUSINESSMEDIA.COM (Linux 3.13.0-32-generic)
 15     197682  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-696.16.1.el6.x86_64)
 16     186950  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Linux 2.6.32-504.3.3.el6.x86_64)
 17     186666  LISTS.UCDENVER.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 18     186284  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 19     158890  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 20     158842  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (31 Jan 2018)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     5279543  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  2     3670087  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  3     1956080  LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
  4     1583566  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  5     1410740  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  6     1345852  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  7     1332362  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  8     1319003  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9)
  9     1120648  LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 10     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 11     1029849  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.11)
 12     1000125  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 13      945469  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 14      944029  LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34)
 15      818258  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 16      810010  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 17      802842  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 18      775466  LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 19      764864  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 20      746530  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (31 Jan 2018)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 26863  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  2 16806  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3 14035  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  4 13216  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9)
  5  9788  LISTS.CLEMSON.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
  6  9599  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
  7  7803  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.32)
  8  7297  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
  9  6817  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 10  6589  LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 11  6270  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Linux 2.6.32)
 12  5634  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 13  5478  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 14  5211  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 15  4393  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 16  4358  LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 17  4067  LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
 18  3978  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 19  3859  LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.10)
 20  3737  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (JAN18, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     837186  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     494166  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  3     467707  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  4     283587  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Linux 2.6.32)
  5     266455  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  6     247209  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  7     233398  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.11)
  8     223378  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  9     216843  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 10     199859  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 11     194951  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-696.16.1.el6.x86_64)
 12     189519  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 13     186628  LISTS.UCDENVER.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 14     183997  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Linux 2.6.32-504.3.3.el6.x86_64)
 15     181533  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 16     155914  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 17     153454  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 18     151917  LIST.UVM.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 19     150591  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 20     146189  LIST.ETSI.ORG (Windows Server 2016 Datacenter x64 Edition + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (31 Jan 2018)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      300656  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.0.34)
  2       62458  EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  3       54050  AMIS-CNRS-INTERNATIONAL-L@IN2P3.FR (Linux 3.10.0)
  4       41752  OPSWNEWS@LISTSERV.NYSED.GOV (AIX 7.1)
  5       39193  CAREERCENTERUPDATE@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  6       38262  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  7       35880  CMU-BASKETBALL@LS2.CMICH.EDU (Linux 3.10.0)
  8       34587  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
  9       33611  L-SMEAL-REPORT@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
 10       30848  FOCIS_GROUP@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 11       28992  HALLCOLIBRARY-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 12       28918  BEDRIJVENLIJST@LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
 13       28918  BEDRIJVENLIJST2@LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
 14       28342  L-THON-NEWS@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
 15       27710  RECREATION@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 16       27415  VOLUPDATE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17       26419  PARENTS@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 18       24990  NCHPAD-NEWS@LISTSERV.UAB.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 19       24093  THEMISVAKGEBIED@LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
 20       23805  ISMA@LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)