LittleShoot is a new web-based p2p file sharing site founded by one of the creators of Limewire that could live up to its pedigree and then some. While being web-based naturally makes the service more attractive than downloadable file-sharing apps, LittleShoot has a few other killer features that could make it the new model for p2p.

For one, LittleShoot is starting off by serving as a search index for services that already have billions of files, like YouTube, Flickr, and yes, Limewire. Thus, searching for just about anything will yield a plethora of results that you can download right to your computer. LittleShoot includes its own player too, so as a video or song is downloading, you can view and listen from the browser.

Once those files are downloaded, they become part of the p2p network that is LittleShoot. Like other p2p services before it, LittleShoot works by downloading pieces of content from other users that have a given file, in the most efficient way possible. The service is optimized not just to find the most nearby computers with the file, but also defaulting (when possible) to users on the same ISP to further pump up the download speeds.

Publishing files to LittleShoot is also exceptionally easy. You simply browse your hard drive and select the files you’d like to upload. You can add tags to your files to help improve the search index. You can access your files from a “Publish” tab on the site, where you can edit, open, or delete them. LittleShoot requires no registration, which should give users some sense of anonymity in uploading their files (of course, whether copyright holders demand IP addresses at some point is another issue).

Although not live yet, another big feature LittleShoot has in the works will essentially turn Twitter into a file sharing service. When you upload files, you’ll have the option to tweet a link to them, which in turn will be tremendous viral marketing for LittleShoot while significantly improving the performance of the p2p network, since files will be hosted on more and more computers as they get downloaded.

LittleShoot also plans to offer tools to external developers, so “any site can include our javascript library and create a p2p YouTube, for example, but where flash files stream just as if they weren’t p2p,” says co-founder Adam Fisk.

There are already a ton of p2p download services, many of which are under constant attack by copyright holders and industry groups. Essentially, Fisk and his team think file sharing has evolved in the wrong direction in the Web 2.0 world.

“People flocked to put their videos and photos on sites like YouTube and Facebook, and those sites now control an astonishing percentage of our digital content. Corporate ads are slapped on personal videos. Privately shared content is taken down due to bogus copyright claims. Sharing has become synonymous with forsaking one’s right to manage one’s own content,” the company says.

LittleShoot could certainly shake things up, and given how long Limewire has managed to survive, I wouldn’t bet against it being a new disruptive force in p2p file sharing with some staying power.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you already know that I’m looking for a research assistant, a person whose primary job would be to help me dig up information for longer, in-depth blog posts.

This position doesn’t require a special degree or even a permanent address in San Francisco. What it does require is the ability to quickly ferret out information from various public sources.

When I want to write about a certain trend, for example, I will want help tracking down all the companies in that sector, and to have a coherent dossier written on it that is both short and sweet. It would be a great learning opportunity for a student.

My research assistant will of course be paid a nominal hourly fee for their efforts and should expect to work between 30-40 hours a month. Clearly the part-time money isn’t going to help your retire, but if you make yourself indispensable, it might eventually lead to a full-time job.

So how do you apply? As I said in my tweet, I want you to find my personal email address (the GigaOM.com address doesn’t count.) Use it to send me an email outlining, in 250 words or less, why you are the best person for the job. To tilt the balance in your favor, include a list of five of my favorite brands. The final step would involve an assignment – if I like your work, you’re hired.

Qu’on voit vos tronches de lecteurs….

• Charge 4 Wii remotes simultaneously
• Includes 4 rechargeable NiMH battery packs
• LED Charge Indicator lights
• Quad port rapid recharging dock
• 6 foot power cable
• Rubberized battery covers for superior gaming performance

I’d better hightail it to Washington, because a reshuffling of Congressional Committee members is poised to herald more regulation for telecommunications firms on issues ranging from rural access to Net Neutrality. Yesterday Rep. Henry Waxman ascended to the head of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce — which you may remember for its investigation into how web firms use consumer data — and convened two hearings