I can't add or delete songs, edit a playlist

None of the commands that would let me add a playlist or add or delete item to/from an existing playlist are enabled or present in menus they should be in.

I looked through Preferences for a clue. I can't find the status screen for the device, the one with tabs that let you get to the apps and other stuff on the phone. Or to see how much space is left. That might have offered a clue why it thinks my device is locked?

I was able to locate the sidebar, that's well documented on the web. It's the first hidden thing you have to find. And this is not the first time they've hidden it from us (so we know to look, first thing).

Idea: Maybe I can use Dropbox instead of iTunes?

I tried copying the podcast I really want to listen to into a folder on Dropbox. I'm sure it will show up on the iPhone. The question is, will I be able to play it from within the Dropbox app? If so, I can skip using iTunes altogether, forever! Ohhh that would be nice.

How to prevent iPhoto from opening?

iPhoto opens whenever I plug in the iPhone. That's not cool. How do I stop that?

Note

This is why I keep at least one computer on the old OS. If I can't figure out how to get iTunes to work on Yosemite, or if I want to move on and you know do my real work, I can just use my laptop to keep my iPhone and iPad loaded with the podcasts and music I want to hear.

Venting

First: sigh.

Every time I "upgrade" to a new version of iTunes, I have to figure out all over again how to trick it into letting me manage the expensive Apple devices I use that can only be managed by iTunes.

You gotta wonder how Apple sells so many of these devices. Maybe that's why people don't use desktops so much, because they are so useless at managing the devices?

iTunes is amazingly bad software that just gets worse. At least Android lets you manage a remote device as if it were an external drive. They punt on the whole idea of managing it. Better approach than Apple's where the user is apparently seen as an enemy. To be harassed until they finally give up and just access everything through Apple's store? Could that be the motive?