When can we start using email as a memo replacement?

Over the past few months I have had more email support requests than anything else, and one of the primary reasons is because apparently using email to send audio, video, and photos does not always work.

Sometimes sending files will be blocked by:

• Sender's Mail Server due to outgoing policies
• Sender's Mail Server due to storage constraints
• Sender's Spam Firewall due to outgoing policies
• Sender's Mail Virus Scanner due to false positive
  
• Recipient's Mail Server due to incoming policies
• Recipient's Mail Server due to storage constraints
• Recipient's Mail Client due to Junk Mail settings
• Recipient's Spam Firewall due to incoming policies
• Recipient's Mail Virus Scanner due to false positive

Not to mention network outages anywhere along the way, and our favorite "User Error".

I have had no problem with my 7KB text emails in the years of working at this organization, but when users start sending mass emails from their mail clients to keep their ministries up-to-date, especially while sending photos of the previous event or a special book they recommend, our Mail Server gets sluggish, our Spam Filter has to work overtime, our users run out of storage space, and sometimes our IP gets blacklisted.

Apparently, using email as a text-based communication device does not have these side effects, and there are plenty of alternatives for transferring files (such as the File Transfer Protocol). For some reason, our users, and many many many outside organizations insist on sending EULA's, PDFs, manuals, radio spots, video previews, etc. etc. via email.

When can we stop sending cars in the mail and start sending letters as to where to go pick up the car? Meaning, send me a link to a website that manages EULA agreements, lets me download radio spots, lets me preview videos, and lets me download large files?

I understand there are services like constant contact for sending bulk mail out, and YouSendIt for uploading large files and emailing a link to them, but when are businesses going to start using them?

I'd love to simply block all non-text-based email if I could. Then again, I think it should be borderline illegal to use frames on a website or require a specific browser or operating system to view a web application...

/me votes for simplicity