I remember connecting to the Web (before there was a graphical interface) via the CERN line mode browser (using a Unix command line). No pictures and not very many sites. After that (and before Mosaic), Lynx was a major improvement. You could view and create text-only websites.

Before the WWW, you could share and search out info using Usenet, HyTelnet, Gopher, Veronica, and Archie. Clunky, but (at the time) exciting.