Had enough of life online? Whilst there are over

500 million active users of Facebook alone, a growing proportion of consumers are completely removing themselves from social networking sites. They are concerned that all this time 'living' online is posing a threat to their offline, real lives. Many argue, for instance, that the information online reveals too much to current and even future employers. Others claim the time spent building a virtual life takes away from the traditional relationship-building that occurs face-to-face. People are committing online suicide with the help of companies such as Seppukoo, (a form of Japanese ritual suicide, actually spelled seppuku), which helps users delete their Facebook profiles and the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, which helps you "completely do away with your Web 2.0 alterego" by deleting all of your social networking profiles.

Initially, Facebook fought these companies offering assisted suicide, even going so far as to send cease and desist letters in late 2009 and into 2010.

Not surprisingly, Seppukoo responded with its own letter to Facebook stating that it would not comply. Despite the fact that there has been little to no activity on the Seppukoo website as of late, Facebook continues to grapple with ways to satisfy members’ privacy concerns.

You may recall that in May the organization announced the introduction of simpler and more powerful controls for sharing personal information.

These efforts, in combination with Facebook's recent milestone, seem to suggest that the nearly 1.1 million social suicides claimed by the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine and Seppukoo were not enough to thwart the organization’s influence on people and brands all over the world.

So what's next for the network? In a recent article by The Guardian, Gartner analyst, Monica Basso, deems Facebook “the mother of all social networks.” Basso goes on to say that, "By 2012, Facebook will become the hub for integration of social networks, as well as for social extensions of traditional websites and applications. Other social networks, including Twitter, will continue to develop, seeking further adoption and specialisations with communication or content areas, but Facebook will represent a common denominator for all of them."

Do you agree with Ms. Basso, or does the mere thought of a more dominant Facebook indulge your social suicide?

Piers Guilar is a group director for the Siegle+Gale London office.