Since there is no prospect of consensus and achieving the stated goal -- a standard proposal by August 2004 -- he and the MARID chiefs decided to close the group. - yes, sorry, but if it's not until the end of September that one realizes the deadline in August can no longer be met, then perhaps one should put a calendar on the desk.
Otherwise, the whole procedure is an absolute debacle. I agree with the voices that the prevention of discussion about patent problems is a reason for the debacle. Patent claims on IETF algorithms should be cleared up early - because especially with such important infrastructure decisions, one must not hand over the reins to corporations that can then exploit it. And anyone who believes that Microsoft wouldn't have used such leverage to hinder the GPL is someone who puts on their pants with pliers...
And yes, it is a serious problem that there will now be no IETF proposal for the foreseeable future. Because this opens the door wide for Microsoft's unilateral action. Let's hope that spam prevention doesn't become the crowbar with which Microsoft cracks open the server market on the Internet.