[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – October 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 (OCT18, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     809686  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     653719  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  3     527907  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  4     282512  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Linux 2.6.32)
  5     265097  DIGITAL.ANNEXBUSINESSMEDIA.COM (Linux 3.13.0-32-generic)
  6     258743  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  7     257961  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  8     253740  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
  9     248778  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.11)
 10     246375  LIST.ETSI.ORG (Windows Server 2016 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 11     244058  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 12     243975  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 13     242391  LISTS.UCDENVER.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 14     218954  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 15     217342  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Linux 2.6.32-504.3.3.el6.x86_64)
 16     204616  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-754.3.5.el6.x86_64)
 17     204319  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 18     186828  DISCUSSIONS.EQ.EDU.AU (Linux 2.6.18-404.el5)
 19     186660  LISTSERV.ACM.ORG (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 20     177645  LIST.UVM.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)

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

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     5346664  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  2     3483470  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  3     2123561  LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
  4     1366587  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  5     1337078  LISTSERV.TAU.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.9)
  6     1325056  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  7     1282581  LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  8     1276177  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  9     1151667  LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 10     1059036  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 11      991063  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 12      944029  LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.10.0)
 13      831417  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.11)
 14      818258  CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU (VM/SP 4.0)
 15      816258  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 16      791651  LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 17      785744  LISTSERV.UA.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 18      784373  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 19      755113  LISTSERV.ECU.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 20      733167  LISTSERV.UH.EDU (Linux 3.10.0)

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

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 27301  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  2 16972  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  3 14220  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  4 11433  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  8079  LISTSERV.TECHNION.AC.IL (Linux 2.6.32)
  8  7603  MARIST (VM/SP 2.0)
  9  6743  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Linux 2.6.32)
 10  6621  LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 11  5577  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 12  5513  LISTS.UMN.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 13  5110  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 14  4450  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 15  4372  LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
 16  4370  LS.KULEUVEN.BE (Linux 2.6.32)
 17  3938  LISTSERV.MILLERSVILLE.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 18  3907  LISTS.QUEENSU.CA (Solaris 2.10)
 19  3862  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 20  3701  YORKU.CA (Linux 2.6.32)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (OCT18, 1-31)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1     782157  JISCMAIL.AC.UK (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  2     652713  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
  3     522780  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
  4     270362  LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK (Linux 2.6.32)
  5     258610  LISTES.ULAVAL.CA (Linux 2.6.18)
  6     251994  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  7     245754  LIST.ETSI.ORG (Windows Server 2016 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  8     243919  LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.11)
  9     242679  LISTS.UFL.EDU (Linux 2.6.18)
 10     242351  LISTS.UCDENVER.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 11     228926  LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (SunOS 5.10)
 12     215806  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
 13     214467  LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES (Linux 2.6.32-504.3.3.el6.x86_64)
 14     203415  LISTS.HAWAII.EDU (Linux 2.6.32-754.3.5.el6.x86_64)
 15     201633  LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 16     193972  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 17     186683  DISCUSSIONS.EQ.EDU.AU (Linux 2.6.18-404.el5)
 18     175962  LIST.UVM.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 19     171582  LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 20     166804  LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)

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

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      300656  COMPUTING@LIST.MSU.EDU (Linux 3.10.0)
  2       62383  EXCEL@LISTSERV.UTA.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
  3       62163  CAREERCENTERUPDATE@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
  4       54050  AMIS-CNRS-INTERNATIONAL-L@IN2P3.FR (Linux 3.10.0)
  5       42118  SAFETYNOTICE@LISTSERV.UC.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition)
  6       41762  OPSWNEWS@LISTSERV.NYSED.GOV (AIX 7.1)
  7       39635  CMU-BASKETBALL@LS2.CMICH.EDU (Linux 3.10.0)
  8       34587  TCUATHLETICSDIRECTOR@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
  9       33604  L-SMEAL-REPORT@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
 10       30835  FOCIS_GROUP@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)
 11       29214  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       28320  L-THON-NEWS@LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 6.1)
 15       27709  RECREATION@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 16       27405  VOLUPDATE@LISTSERV.UTK.EDU (Solaris 2.10)
 17       27079  HINDU-D@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition)
 18       26418  PARENTS@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Linux 3.0.101)
 19       25167  CANVASSTUDENTS_AUTO@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU (Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard x64 Edition)
 20       24990  NCHPAD-NEWS@LISTSERV.UAB.EDU (Linux 2.6.32)