I will add the resulting compression sizes- there is not much between them (pzip was around 2% larger for the 10GB directory). Although, I do have some optimizations in mind which will bring this down further.
I don’t think that analogy is accurate. Python and Ruby capture the essence of programming- they still require one to think logically and structure problems in precise computational language.
Yes, they do operate further from the underlying hardware- but as a beginner, this isn’t really important. Once you’ve grasped the basics, languages like C become a lot more accessible and you can better appreciate what the higher level languages do for you.
I guess it’s personal preference at the end of the day.
Python and Ruby are great languages to start with but definitely not the end goal (for anyone who really wants to gain a deep understanding). They make the transition to understanding lower level languages e.g. C a lot smoother.
[1] https://github.com/ybirader/pzip
Disclaimer: I’m the author