Yeah, I think this is a common experience. I quit a couple of years ago when they did the API thing, but the impression I get is that loads of people have been getting banned for similarly ridiculous reasons. Seems kinda self destructive. I left voluntarily, but I'd been there a long time, over ten years, think I had almost a million comment karma. This is also the case for many of the people getting banned - users who'd been there a really long time and who were mostly people who contributed content and comments. Maybe management thought they don't need the old school users now they have bots, and bots that can slip in product endorsements and try to manipulate political opinion. In fact, a lot of the people who'd been around the longest and contributed most were probably more likely to notice and complain about the huge influx of bots and bullshit.
Still seems self destructive, though, but I guess after the IPO short term gains are more important than community. Their loss is Lemmy's gain. Like you say, fuck em.