SAN FRANCISCO – Reader John is having a problem with Internet Explorer 6 (which he’s running on Windows XP Pro SP3): When he shift-clicks a link to open a page in a new browser window, that window shows up blank.

My response: why, oh why, John, are you still using IE6? It’s an outdated, unsupported, potentially dangerous browser that deserves to be put down like a lame plow horse.

Indeed, there’s only one legitimate reason for sticking with it: work. If you’re using, say, a company laptop, you may have no choice but to use the IT department-approved browser, which in many cases is still IE6.

Otherwise, it’s time to make a change. I highly recommend upgrading to Internet Explorer 8, which will very likely solve your problem and open the door to all kinds of worthwhile features: tabs (which obviate the need for new windows–get in the habit of CTRL-clicking your links instead), Accelerators, Web Slices, and a wealth of malware and phishing protections.

Alternately, try Firefox. Try Google Chrome. Try Opera. Any of these modern browsers offer more features and better security than IE6, and all of them can import your existing Favorites.

Sorry if that’s not exactly the kind of help you were hoping for, John, but at this stage I think it’s borderline irresponsible to use a Web browser that’s such a major security risk.