In the 90s they had services that would send you HTTP pages and FTP files via email, for the poor schmocks that had email (e.g. via UUCP) but no FTP or WWW.
You'll be surprised about all the boxes that have been erected for people to think in, as soon as you have discovered the world outside the particular box you've grown up in.
I assume you've seen this: Richard Stallman in 2007: http://lwn.net/Articles/262570/ (HN Discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1378422 )
This is so impressive.