Yes, that's what I also meant. Most of the (modelling) ruby plugins "only" automate ways SU can do and you could also do by hand - although admittedly very slowly and painstakingly. There's nothing wrong in using plugins of course, I was just going to say that in order to fully "master" SU, you have to be able to do most things by hand also and this way understand how things (and even plugins) work.
Then of course there is definitely a kind of "shortage" in good tutorial examples about using ruby scripts and good demonstrations about how different plugins help you with speeding up modelling would really be cool.