Normally on sites like this, the person who answers the question will be recognized by the members of the site. They will upvote your answers or select the one that is the best. You can earn a small reputation on the site by just asking questions and leaving comments in the answers you receive. You can also give likes to the person's answer or select the answer that is the best answer to your question.
Here on this site, you'll earn badges for the work you do on the site. The badges help to add to your reputation on the site.
I really feel the best respect you can earn from the site is by asking fantastic questions and if you do answer a question, give the best answer possible. People will start to respect you for your answers and your knowledge. You don't need to answer a ton of questions, just pick and choose the ones that you feel that you can answer. Do a fantastic job and really help the person out. This is the best reputation you can earn on this site or any other site.