When Google went public in August, eager buyers snapped up its shares and instantly pumped up the company's market value to $27 billion -- about the same as General Motors.

But this wasn't just another instance of a public with more money than high tech savvy pushing up a stock price to ludicrous heights; Google's value is justified. If General Motors workers went on strike, most would hardly notice. But if Google shut down, almost every office would feel it.

The Internet is where everyone finds out information. Which brings me to the point of this column: Why don't Brier Creek Commons and North Hills have better Web sites?

The Web sites for Crabtree Valley Mall and Triangle Town Center (www.crabtree-valley-mall.com and www.triangletowncenter.com) have almost everything you need to know.

By contrast, Brier Creek's Web site (briercreekcommons. com) is barebones, offering no more than phone numbers for many stores. North Hills' site (www.kanerealtycorp.com /data/northhills.html) is technologically dazzling but devoid of useful information.

Its not that the shopping centers aren't anxious to get your business. Brier Creek would like you to know that they have Santa (they built him a little house) and horse-drawn carriage rides. But you have to go to a seasonal Web site to find that out (www.christmasatbriercreek. com), and that site doesn't have a whole lot.

North Hills has been trying to lure shoppers with singers, jugglers, unicyclists and magicians (I’m not making this up). But you won’t find out about any of this stuff on their Web site. You can’t even find out what stores are there.

But I am glad to report that both shopping centers are trying to mend their ways.

Ellen McGuire, a marketing representative for Brier Creek Common’s developer, American Asset Corp., said the Web site is "in development" and that a more sophisticated site would debut in January. "They’re very anxious at Brier Creek to get that done," she said.

As for North Hills, their PR person Charlotte Ellis said Thursday that a new Web site (www.northhillsraleigh.com) is "not quite done" but will be ready to present to the public "hopefully in the next couple of weeks."

About time.