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I think the disclosure procedures were abandoned because people outside of the loop had figured it out from Linux kernel upgrades.

Also by AMD's e-mail that all-but-disclosed the mechanism of Meltdown.

AIUI disclosure wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow. Google broke the embargo because, as you said, people were starting to figure it out.

Breaking the embargo at 5pm EST was also coordinated with everyone who had been disclosed early. It wasn't anarchy.